No Rest For the Wicked
by Slaymesoftly
Summary: A sequel to "Slayer's Night Off", this story picks up the next night and follows Spike and Buffy as they try to work out their new possible relationship. Riley's our first big bad, but he gets over it and Glory makes an appearance. She doesn't last long, though. ;)
1. Chapter 1

AN: A sequel to "Slayer's Night Off" (in which Spike and Buffy learn some things about each other and Riley makes a big mistake), this first chapter was a short response to a Taming the Muse prompt a couple of years ago. I always intended for it to go on, so I may or may not have posted it anywhere besides the Taming community. Be that as it may, it is now the first chapter of a wip story that picks up the night after "Slayer's Night Off." Chapters One and Two in this entry, additions as I polish them up.

**bNo Rest for the Wicked **

**Chapter One/b**

"So, G-man, what was all that stuff with the vampires going all Halloween on us this year?"

"Yeah, Giles. I was expecting to have a night off, and instead I ended up staking vampire zombies, vampire pirates and vampire freakin' Hobbits!"

"Hobbits?"

Buffy glanced over at Xander.

"Yeah, you guys missed that little bit of 'please scrub my brain' fun."

"Where did you find vampire Hobbits? Were they real vampires? Were they real Hobbits? Did they have furry feet?" He seemed genuinely curious.

"Of course, they weren't real Hobbits, you—" Giles took a deep breath. "Hobbits are imaginary creatures from literature. They aren't real."

Anya raised her hand and opened her mouth; then shut it and just watched with interest.

"Kinda like vampires and werewolves, huh, Giles?" Buffy said, raising a sardonic eyebrow that reminded her watcher too much of the vampire that had apparently figured into the previous night's activities.

"I suppose it's an example of the creolization of Sunnydale's demon population," Giles said with just a trace of an indignant sniff. "With the Master gone, the newer vampires have no one to teach them the traditions and it will be only a question of time before it spreads to the rest of the demon cultures."

"Oh goody. No more days off for Buffy," she huffed, slumping back with a pout.

"I thought you were happy to have something to kill, Buffster? Isn't that what you were saying just before the undead pirates showed up?"

Buffy flushed as she remembered why she'd been in such a bad mood.

"I was just having some issues that required me to kill something, Xander. It doesn't mean I want to spend every Halloween staking cartoon characters with fangs!"

"Technically," Willow ventured, "Hobbits aren't cartoon characters..."

"Not the point, guys." Buffy looked around the room and frowned. "Does anybody know where Spike is?"

"Why would we know if you don't?" Anya asked with a clearly puzzled frown.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, usually, if we see Spike, it's because he's following you around like a...a..."

"Stalker?"

"I was going to say 'a puppy dog'. A scary puppy dog," she added as they all turned to stare at her with wide eyes.

As the Scoobies and Buffy mulled over what Anya was implying about Spike and his relationship with Buffy, the vampire in question burst into the room.

"Hey, Watcher, have you seen...oh, there you are."

No one questioned who Spike was talking about, only nodded and pointed at Buffy's direction.

"Where have you been?" she asked with some asperity. "It's been dark for hours."

He cocked his head at her, ignoring the interested eyes and ears that were focused on them.

"Let's be clear, pet. Are you brassed off because you think I should have been here the minute you wanted me to, or because you're worried about what I may have been doing instead?"

Their eyes met, Spike's challenging Buffy to admit she might be still jealous of his aborted 'date' the night before.

"Or, I could have been worried that Riley came after you again with helpers," she snapped, grabbing her coat and heading for the door. "But I forgot, you have other things that might have kept you away. What did you do – go hide out with your new 'friend'?"

She slammed the door behind her and stormed across the parking lot, ignoring his muffled shout when the door shut in his face. With a snarl, he wrenched it open and followed her rapidly disappearing form.

"See?" Anya said with a smile. "Scary puppy dog."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Before Buffy could decide which way she wanted to go, Spike had caught up with her at the edge of the parking lot. Ignoring her "Don't touch me" he put both hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him.

"I'm sorry," he said, completely disrupting her intended rant. "It was inconsiderate of me not to let you know where I was. I should have known you'd be worried."

"As if!" she sniffed, totally contradicting what she'd said earlier.

"Exactly," he growled, dropping his arms and adopting the same attitude. "It's not like I expect you to worry about me, is it?"

"He tried to i_kill/i _you last night! Why wouldn't I be worried?"

She turned and began to march down the sidewalk, Spike falling in beside her and easily matching her rapid stride.

"I dunno," he said more cheerfully. "Maybe because staking me is something you threaten to do on a daily basis? Hard to imagine you'd mind all that much if soldier boy did it for you."

"Don't be stupid," she muttered, shoving her hands in her pockets and hunching her shoulders. The conversation they'd had in the Bronze ladies room ran through her head, and she tried to remember exactly what she might have admitted to feeling.

Spike just nodded, every word of the conversation firmly fixed in his memory; as were every one of Buffy's actions that evening, from her obvious jealousy over the red-head to her words to Riley after he'd tried to dust the vampire she referred to as "mine".

"Get the impression you might have already been in a bad mood before I got there, pet. Care to share?"

Buffy sighed and slowed down.

"I was just complaining about all the stupid vampires running around last night and Giles said it was probably going to continue to happen. I'm not sure what it has to do with New Orleans, but—"

"New Orleans?"

"Yeah. He said something about Creoles. Isn't that where they live?"

"He called the vampires 'creoles'?"

"No. Pay attention. He used some word like that to say that the old traditions were being replaced by... something. I don't know. All I know is that he was basically saying I'm losing my only night off. I have to be the Slayer three hundred and sixty-five days a year. It's not fair!"

"Creolization," Spike said almost to himself. "The Watcher likes those big words, doesn't he?"

Buffy peered at him from the corner of her eye. "How come you know that word?"

He shrugged and changed the subject.

"I thought you were enjoying yourself last night, luv. I'm surprised you're so upset to learn you might not have that night off any more."

"I was... okay, not enjoying, cause that's just too much like..." She glared at him. "I needed to work off some steam. But that doesn't mean I i_want/i_ to have to work every Halloween. That's supposed to be my night for parties and... stuff."

She could see him cutting his eyes at her, doing his best to suppress his twitching lips. She tried to glare at him, but ended up smiling ruefully.

"I sound like a spoiled brat, don't I?"

"No, love." His voice was suddenly serious, the smile gone. "You sound like somebody who spends too much of her time killing things in the dark, and not enough time having fun in the sun. Where you should be."

Buffy shrugged. "The last time I had that kind of fun in the sun, I was beating up on you." Her eyes lit up. "Hey! Maybe you could find another ring and we could spar during the day."

He just stared at her until she blushed and looked away.

"Well, I mean, you'd have to give it to me for safekeeping when you weren't, you know, actually _with_ me. But..."

"Do you really think I'm that housebroken, Slayer?"

Her shoulders slumped. "No, I guess you aren't," she said sadly. "I don't know what I was thinking..."

He pivoted in front of her again, putting hands on her shoulders and waiting until she brought reluctant eyes up to his.

"You were thinking that I'd do pretty much anything to be allowed to spend time with you, weren't you?"

"I... wasn't... maybe?" Her eyes dropped again. "I'm sorry, Spike. I do take you for granted, don't I? Of course you wouldn't..."

As though she hadn't spoken, he tipped her chin up so that she had to look at him again.

"And you'd be right, love. I i_would_ /ido just about anything to spend time with you. You know I would..."

Buffy flinched at the reminder that he was willing to endure watching her cuddle with Riley just to be around her; then she remembered what Riley had tried to do and she nodded.

"I know you would. But I'm thinking that after last night's little performance, you won't have to put up with some of it anymore."

"Was trying to stake me a deal-breaker, then?" The hope in his voice was palpable.

"It always has been," she admitted. "It's one of the first and only fights we ever had. I told him that unless he found you with your teeth in somebody's throat, he had to leave you alone."

"Oh." His hands fell from her shoulders and he stuck them in his pockets. "So, nothing new about it, then." He turned away and began walking. Buffy stared after him or a second, than ran to catch up, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him to a halt.

"It's always been a deal-breaker," she said, willing him to listen even as she watched his face shut down. "The difference is – back then, I would have just been really, really mad; and now... " She touched his cheek, stroking it until he met her eyes. "Now, I would be heartbroken."

"Can't have that," he whispered, kissing her palm and holding her hand against his cheek.

Buffy blushed and looked away from the adoration in his eyes.

"Well, no. It's not my favorite thing to be. Hence the worry when you were late tonight."

He released her hand and they began walking again, slowly this time and with their shoulders brushing occasionally as they strolled around Sunnydale in search of slay-worthy demons.

**bChapter Two/b**

A few weeks later, Xander bounced into Giles's apartment with his usual respectful greeting. "Hey, G-man, what's with all the evil un-dead presence lately?"

"Please do not call me that. If you're referring to Spike, I'm afraid you would have to ask Buffy. Although, I will admit to enjoying the company of someone who can speak the Queen's English from time to time."

"Spike? You'd rather be talking to the evil undead than us? The pride of Sunnydale?"

"I did not say I would rather be speaking with him; simply that he and I share a common heritage – and, to my surprise, a common grasp of language – that makes conversing with him a bit more like speaking with a contemporary."

"Now, see, if you'd said all that in American, I might have agreed with you."

"Hence my occasional preference for Spike's company," was his dry reply.

"Back to my question. Why is he around here so much? Shouldn't he be out doing creature of the night kinds of things?"

"Like hunting and killing demons with Buffy?"

"Well, yeah, okay. So the Buffster is sort of a creature of the night – but only because that's where the bad guys are. Otherwise, she'd be all about the sunshine and beach scene."

"So you think Spike will not be here?"

"Well — and you have no idea how I hate to admit this — Anya thinks he's only hanging out here because Buffy does, and since the Buffster is in LA with her dad and Dawn..."

"Point taken," Giles admitted. "However, I do not believe Spike has many friends left among Sunnydale's demon populations. So, as little as we may celebrate the idea of his becoming a fr—member of our little group, I think we must accept that it is so." He looked from Xander to the door, which had just been opened to admit the vampire in question. "As you can see."

"Talking about me, were you?" Spike glanced between the two men, making it clear his vampire hearing had allowed him to hear some of their conversation.

"Eavesdropping, were you, Yoda?"

"That would be 'Eavesdropping, you were?'" Spike snorted. "And, no, not intentionally listening. That would imply I thought you two might say something worth hearing."

"You got my Star Wars reference... and corrected it." Xander turned a panicked face to Giles. "The bloodsucker is trying to out-geek me, Giles! Do something!"

"Please do not permit Xander to feel you know more than he does about things he considers important, Spike," Giles said with a wry twist to his mouth.

Spike nodded as he dropped his coat on a chair. "Wouldn't want the boy to feel inferior. Should we stick to mid-nineteenth century literature then?"

Xander gaped back and forth between the smirking vampire and Giles, who was visibly trying to hide a small smile.

"I'm telling Buffy on you when she gets back," he finally sputtered. "On both of you!"

Before Spike could reply, Willow and Tara came through the door with Anya following them complaining about having her plans for the night interrupted.

"Thank God," Xander muttered, going to stand by the girls. "People who speak my language."

"We all speak the same language, Xander." Anya frowned at him.

"No we don't. Giles and the bloodsucker speak... British. It's not the same at all."

Willow's giggle and Tara's soft smile did nothing to improve Xander's mood, although he settled for throwing himself into a chair. "Can we get this show on the road? Why did you call this meeting, G-man? Buffy's not here, so no slayer stuff to handle."

"My point, exactly. Buffy is not here, and hasn't been since early yesterday evening. I'm proposing we take her place for the next night or two. Just so when she gets back she doesn't have to deal with overwhelming numbers of vampires. And to keep the public safe, of course."

"So you want us to... what? Patrol for her? I'm all about keeping down the population of bloodsuckers—" Xander shot a quick glance at Spike who made a rude gesture in his direction — "but once we find them, which one of us is going to do the fighting? You?" When Giles glared at him, Xander quickly added, "Not that you couldn't do it. With all those watcherly skills you've got..."

Giles sighed and rubbed his face. "Although I would like to think I could hold my own, I believe that working as a group would be best. Willow and Tara have their magic, I have my own...as you pointed out...small measure of skill with slaying weapons, you—"

Anya interrupted. "Xander doesn't have any skills... well, he does, obviously, but not in the way of vampire-slaying. We don't have any magic, and we're just humans. You don't need us. Come on Xander, let's leave now." She stood up and held out her hand.

"Ayn... I've staked my share of vamps. I'm not completely helpless, you know." He stood up and glared at his girlfriend.

"But you _are_ vulnerable, and important to me. So I don't want you going out to do Buffy's job. She can do it when she gets home."

The room was silent as everyone waited to see how Xander was going to handle Anya's comments. Spike's snort of laughter focused Xander's anger on him rather than Anya.

"What are you laughing about? If anybody should be out there doing Buffy's job for her, it's you. You know her routine and where the evil things are likely to be lurking."

Spike raised his eyebrows at Giles who shrugged an apology. "I hadn't got to that part of the plan yet."

"There's a plan? Why wasn't I told? I like plans." Xander sat back down, ignoring Anya's tapping foot. "What is it?"

"You weren't told because Anya interrupted me before I'd finished explaining why I feel we can be useful while Buffy is gone. Spike is part of the plan. He has agreed to help us while Buffy is away."

"Oh." Xander rounded on Spike again. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I promised the Slayer I'd see to it none of you lot managed to get yourselves killed while she was away."

"Hah!" Anya's triumphant exclamation was followed by, "I told you so. He's here because of Buffy."

"I'm here because the Slayer i_isn't_,"/i Spike corrected her. "If she wasn't scampering about in the big city, you wouldn't need me."

"How do you know where she is?" Willow asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And when did she ask you to help us?"

"She told me where she was going the same time she asked me to watch out for all your delicate little selves," he said, managing to avoid the real question. "Being as you're all such nummy treats... Well, maybe not old Rupert there, but the rest of you are plump, ripe..." Spike's eyes glazed over and his mind clearly went elsewhere while the humans all shrank together on the other side of the room from him. With a start, he shook off his wrinkles and gave them a toothy grin. "Sorry about that. Got lost in memories for a bit. I'm alright now."

"I'll bet Buffy didn't tell you to scare us to death," Anya snapped, her usual demon solidarity with Spike taking a back seat to the fright he'd just given her.

"Didn't tell me I couldn't," he said back. "Vamp's got to have some fun while he's out helping a bunch of white hats."

"As entertaining as this has been." Giles cleared his throat loudly. "If we could focus on the plan..."

"Which is?"

"You Slayerless Scoobies take a stroll through the cemeteries and when something tries to eat you, I step in and remind it who the real Big Bad is." Spike responded before Giles could open his mouth.

"Is that really the plan, Giles?" Xander appealed to the older man and waved his hand in Spike's direction. "We're going to risk our lives because he says to?"

"Well, my plan was to patrol for Buffy while she was gone. But I'm certainly not sorry that she anticipated me and provided us with some back up. Spike will be a very useful addition to our group."

"How can we trust him?"

"Slayer does," Spike said with a shrug. "Guess you'll just have to trust her judgment."

"Stop being such a pain, Xander," Anya said. "We've talked about this. He's not going to do anything to make Buffy mad at him."

Spike snorted, but didn't bother to explain. It was left to Giles to say, "I'm fairly certain Buffy gets angry at Spike on a regular basis—"

"And vice versa," Spike put in.

"—as does he at her," Giles went on as if there had been no interruption. "However, it is perfectly obvious that they trust each other when it comes to slaying and do not allow any temporary disagreements to disrupt that trust. I suggest we be on our way now so as complete our patrol at a reasonable hour."

After handing out weapons and explaining to Anya that the crossbow, which could be used at a distance, was probably a better choice for her than a sword, Giles led them out and into the night, Spike gliding along silently behind them.

As they reached the entrance to the first graveyard on Giles's list, Xander dropped back beside Spike.

"Why does Buffy trust you?" he demanded. "Besides the fact that you're harmless?"

Spike sighed and shook his head. "Not 'harmless', Harris. Can't maim or kill humans, that's true, but no reason I can't beat and kill my way back into being the Master of Sunnydale if I wanted to. Could have minions to bring me my food, could burn your house down if I felt like it, could—"

"Okay, okay. I get the picture. Spike is still the Big Bad, he just doesn't want to be for some reason. Doesn't explain why Buffy believes you're safe for us to be around when she's not here."

"Slayer trusts me." Spike repeated his earlier comment and slid his eyes to the side to watch Xander's reaction. "Don't you trust her judgment?"

"Buffy's judgment when it comes to vampires she's played tonsil-hockey with is pretty shaky. People tend to die," Xander muttered, then remembered who he was talking to. "And if you tell her I said that, I'll stake you myself!"

Spike allowed him to panic for a few seconds before saying, "Maybe her taste in men has improved with age." He waited a few more seconds before adding, "I'm not him, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. You're all 'I can control my demon' guy, and you at least have a sense of humor. But the tonsil hockey was a spell, and you don't have a soul—"

"Don't need one," Spike said shortly. "All you need to know is I wouldn't do anything to hurt the Slayer... and that includes allowing any of you to die." He pointed ahead. "Best cock that crossbow if you want a piece of that vamp, or demon-girl's going to beat you to the first slay tonight."

"Don't call her that," was the automatic response, even as Xander cocked the weapon and released a shaft into the chest of the vampire just out of the open grave and trying to stand up. The dust settled back onto the dirt and Giles waved the group on deeper into the cemetery.

XXXXXXXX

"Well, a good night's work, I think," Giles said as the small group of humans followed him toward his apartment. "Spike can help me with the weapons if you would like to go to your homes now."

"I'm giving the girls a ride back to the dorm, so we need to get back to your place anyway," Xander said. He cast a look behind him to see Spike once again bringing up the rear, cigarette in mouth and appearing very relaxed and unconcerned about their surroundings.

However, a close call with an angry demon that had come from nowhere earlier in the evening had shown them exactly how quickly Spike could go from seemingly oblivious companion to active and lethal bodyguard. He'd snatched a sword from Giles and beheaded the demon before the others even realized they'd been attacked. He'd waited, head cocked and vamp face on, as he listened and watched the darkness for any more attackers, before handing the sword back to Giles and retrieving his still-glowing cigarette from the grass where he'd dropped it.

Xander chose not to examine too closely the disturbing thought that he felt safer knowing part of the Scourge of Europe was walking behind him than he would have if Spike weren't there.

As soon as the girls and Xander had driven away, Giles and Spike carried the weapons into the apartment and placed them in the chest. Giles gave a nod of approval as Spike took a rag from the chest and cleaned the sword of demon ichor before putting it away. While Spike closed the chest and followed him to the kitchen, Giles took out two glasses and a bottle of scotch, pouring a healthy amount in each glass and handing one to Spike.

They sat quietly, sipping their drinks, the silence comfortable rather than feeling like something that needed to be filled. Giles held up the bottle, blinking in surprise when Spike shook his head.

"Don't look at me like that, Watcher. I know good sippin' whiskey when I taste it. We sipped. We're done. I've got to swing by my crypt and grab a few things before I go to my bed for the day."

"I thought that was your home."

"Is. But the big hick knows it and I'm not interested in being staked in my sleep, so I'm not staying there."

"You think he would do that?"

"Came home by way of the tunnels the other day and heard him and one of his buddies upstairs. Just lucky the trap was closed and covered and they didn't find my bedroom. When they left, I went up to check it out and found they'd rigged a crossbow to go off at the first person to come through the door."

"But that could have been..." Giles gulped the rest of his drink. "... any of us."

"Exactly. Bloody stupid bastard. Could even have been the Bit or Joyce... or Buffy."

"You should have mentioned it tonight."

"Probably should have, at that, but I wouldn't expect any of the Scoobies to be paying me a visit without the Slayer, and she already knows about it."

"You didn't take it down? Are you trying to get someone killed?"

Spike shook his head. "Was kind of hopin' it would be Finn – coming back to check his handiwork. But I reckon he knows better than to walk into his own trap." Spike stood up. "Anyway, Buffy knows not to come in that way, and so do Joyce and Dawn — not that they have any reason to be there. The Bit isn't real big on doin' what she's told, but she's not here so I think it's safe enough. I'll tell the others tomorrow night." He set his glass in the sink and went to the door. "What time do you want me here tomorrow?"

"What? Oh, sorry. I was thinking about that blithering idiot and wondering what was wrong with him."

"Think we both know what's wrong with him, Watcher," Spike said with a sideways glance at Giles.

"Perhaps if you spent less time with Buffy..." Giles trailed off at the stony expression on Spike's face. "Right then, we'll just have to warn everyone." He sighed. "Maybe I should talk to Riley. I could explain..."

"What would you be explaining, exactly?"

"Well that's the question, isn't it?" Giles challenged him. "Clearly he is jealous. But if he has no reason to be..."

"Slayer told him several weeks ago if he tried to stake me again she'd make him very sorry. She told me it was a deal-breaker for her and that he knew it. I'd say it doesn't matter if he's got reason or not – he thinks he does."

"And does he?"

"You'd have to ask Buffy that. I'm pretty sure my feelings aren't a secret from anybody... including Harris, as much as he may want to pretend he doesn't know."

Spike opened the door and said over his shoulder, "See you tomorrow night, Watcher."

"Good-night, Spike. And thank you for tonight. Do be careful."

There was no reply as the door closed behind the vampire.


	2. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

By the time Spike arrived the following evening, Giles had filled everyone in on the danger lurking in Spike's crypt. As Spike had said, no one seemed to have had any plans to surprise him with a visit, but they all paled visibly as what could have happened to any one of them sank in.

Even Xander was looking at Spike almost sympathetically, causing him to demand, "What?"

"Giles told us what Riley did to your crypt. He must really, really not like you."

"Yeah, well..." Spike looked embarrassed at being the subject of so much sympathy. "Slayer will sort it out when she gets back. Are we ready to go?"

"But where are you staying? Are you staying here with Giles again?" Willow's expression was a combination of curiosity and concern.

"No. Stayin' someplace safe and that's all you need to know. Let's go. Evil's afoot and we're wasting time."

XXXXXXXX

Three cemeteries cleaned out of newly risen vamps and one demonic ritual interrupted, they all agreed it had been a good night's work. Xander had driven from one cemetery to the other, so he and the girls got into his car and waved their goodnights.

"Come on, Watcher. I'll see you safely home." Spike began striding off without waiting to see if he was keeping up.

Puffing slightly, Giles quickly caught up with Spike and grumbled at him to slow down. "What's your hurry? Were you lying about having a place to stay?"

"Wasn't lyin', just want to get there before it gets too late. Don't want the door being left unlocked all night just because I'm not back before bedtime. Demons aren't the only evil things in Sunnyhell and I don't want to put... my host... in any danger."

"You're staying with a human?" Giles paused with his hand on his door, eyebrows raised in astonishment. "A human that isn't Xander or me?"

"There _are _other people in this town, you know."

"Yes, yes, of course there are, I just..."

"You just thought I wouldn't know any of them well enough to ask for a place to stay until the Slayer gets back?" Spike grimaced. "Could be stayin' with Willy for all you know. Or a willing bird." He gave Giles a leer that quickly faded in the face of the man's disbelieving snort.

"Why are you so sure you'll be safe when Buffy returns? Riley will still know where you live. And he set that trap before she left town."

Spike shrugged. "Worry about that when the time comes." He started to turn away. "She'll be home tomorrow, but don't know if she'll be ready to step right back into slaying. I think she's enjoying her little vacation."

"Do I even want to know why you know more about my slayer's activities than I do?"

"Probably not," Spike admitted. "All you need to know is that she'll be back and I'll be looking for a new place to stay if she hasn't sorted out the hayseed by tomorrow night."

"If she hasn't—Oh dear lord, you're staying at Buffy's house!"

Spike whirled back around and glared at Giles. "Think you could say that any louder, you stupid git? Just in case the soldier boys watching us didn't hear it."

"They're watching us?" Giles lowered his voice. "What makes you think so?"

"Heard the clumsy wankers following us and arguing about whether they should grab me in front of you or wait until you go to sleep. Now they know I'm not hiding out here."

"Maybe they didn't hear me... And what do they mean by 'waiting until I go to sleep?' Are the bloody bastards planning to invade my home?" Spike paused to admire the underlying threat in Giles's question before he answered, keeping his own voice so low Giles could barely hear him.

"Maybe they didn't. Depends on how much and what kind of equipment they've got with them. If they don't have listening devices, they probably will try to get me here. Don't want that to happen, so I'll need to let them see me leave. But if they didn't hear you, I don't want to lead them to Joyce's house. Have to do something else for tonight."

"My apologies," Giles said as he opened the door. "Why don't you come in so we can discuss it in private?"

Spike shrugged, then followed Giles inside. "Can't stay here, you know. They'll just break down your door."

"I'm actually counting on it," Giles said as he took a large automatic pistol from a drawer in his desk and very competently checked that it was loaded. He cocked it and set it down on the desk. "I believe I am entitled to shoot in my own defense should anyone burst through my front door in the middle of the night."

Spike gave him an admiring grin. "You have hidden depths, Watcher." He frowned. "Course I always knew you had balls – coming after Angelus like you did last year..."

Giles winced at the memory and turned away, bringing a rare apology from Spike.

"Sorry, Rupert. Didn't mean to dredge up an unhappy memory like that. Forgot for a second why you were so determined to make the old bastard dust."

Giles shook his head. "I only wish I had succeeded," he muttered. "I don't care how helpful he was with the Mayor and Faith. We could have done it without him."

Before Spike could comment upon Giles's obvious dislike for his grandsire, there was a loud knock at the door. They exchanged glances before Giles slipped the gun into his jacket pocket. He gestured toward the door with his head, and Spike walked to it, putting himself behind the door as he pulled it open for a surprised Riley.

His face paled as he realized Giles could not have opened the door from where he was standing. Pulling a stake from his pocket, he grabbed the door and yanked it closed. Spike was leaning against the wall, the picture of unconcern and relaxation.

"Lookin' for something, Capt'n?" he drawled, straightening up and turning to move toward Giles. A flicker of Giles's eyes gave Spike the warning he needed to drop and roll, avoiding Riley's stake and causing him to trip at the same time. Spike growled and clutched his head, but shook off the minor effects of having knocked Riley down. When Riley looked up, Giles was pointing the gun at him with a very steady hand.

"Giles, what are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same question, Riley. Why are you here? Why were you following us tonight? And why were you trying to stake Spike?"

"I..." He glared up at Spike, now standing and still rubbing his forehead. "I wanted to be sure he wasn't stalking you. He was behind all of you almost the whole time tonight."

"Except for those occasions when he stepped in front of us to do what he was there to do – provide a protective barrier for those of us lacking Buffy's powers."

"Well, yeah, but he could have been..." His voice trailed off as he correctly read the skeptical expression on Giles's face, as well as the disgusted one on Spike's.

"Bollocks!" Spike snorted. "Or would be, if you had any. Can't you just admit why you're trying to kill me?"

"Spike..." Giles's voice carried a warning, although the hand holding the gun pointed at Riley's chest was still very steady.

Rather than respond to Spike, Riley appealed to Giles. "You can't possibly be all right with the amount of time Buffy spends with this creature. She's obviously got some kind of vampire hang up, probably left over from that other one that got to her when she was so young. I can help her. We – I mean what's left of my unit – have people who can help. Counselors, psychiatrists—"

Spike's snarl ripped the air, causing both humans to flinch. Still holding the gun, Giles stepped between them.

"Riley, I hope I am not understanding you to say that you think Buffy needs psychiatric help to sort out the men in her life. Are you suggesting her willingness to permit Spike to assist her in meeting her often extremely dangerous duties, indicates she has gone mad?"

"I'm suggesting she's got an unhealthy attraction to the very creatures she is, according to you, supposed to kill. They're nothing but dangerous animals and she treats them like... like people!"

Giles sighed. "Riley, I understand that your lack of knowledge about the Slayer's role in keeping the balance between good and evil is impeding your ability to deal with the realities of her life, and that you've not had an opportunity to meet or interact with very many old vampires. As a result, your view of them is somewhat skewed. I also understand that you are operating out of a sense of betrayal and jealousy that Buffy values Spike's life enough to become angry at you for trying to end it. I understand those things, but I cannot permit that understanding to get in the way of protecting both my slayer and the man who is helping to keep her alive and unharmed."

"He's not a man, he's an _animal_! A temporarily harmless but still dangerous animal."

"An 'animal' with an Ox—" He broke off at a cough from Spike. "—tremely good education, who speaks dozens of demon languages as well as being able to translate Latin and Greek. An 'animal' who has helped her save the world at least once, and who is helping us in her absence simply because she asked him to. I can assure you that we consider Spike a valuable member of our group and I will not permit you to harm him."

"You're all as crazy as she is!"

"And there's that word we knew was lurking behind all your wanting to 'help', you overfed wanker. If she doesn't want you, she must be batty?" Spike snorted and walked to the kitchen.

Giles glared at Spike's retreating back, then quickly refocused on Riley just in time to catch him rising from the crouch he'd remained in as long as the gun was pointed at him. Riley raised his hands in the universal sign for peace, and began backing away.

"I'll talk to Buffy about this when she gets back," he said. "I don't suppose you know when that will be?" He addressed his question to Giles, flinching when the answer came from the direction of the kitchen.

"Tomorrow," Spike said. "The Slayer and Bit will be back tomorrow – about noon. I'll be sure to tell her you'd like to have a chat about how crazy she is."

"Given it will be daylight then, I'm pretty sure I'll see her before you do, Spike."

Giles held his breath, waiting for Spike to say something that would give away where he'd been staying while Buffy was out of town, but he just shrugged and nodded. "You'll let us know how that goes, won't you? When you tell the Slayer you think she needs a head doctor?"

"Maybe I should talk to her mother."

Giles was well aware of what Buffy's parents had done with her when she'd first tried to tell them about her calling and he stared hard at Riley. "I wouldn't do that," he said without explanation.

Riley ignored him and gestured toward the door. "I'm going to leave now."

"You tellin' us or askin' permission?" Spike said as he came out to stand beside Giles who had not relinquished his hold on the pistol, although he was no longer aiming it at Riley.

"This isn't over, _Hostile Seventeen_," Riley said. "You may think I don't understand what's going on here, but you won't always be where one of your human minions can protect you. I know about vampire thralls." He frowned when both Spike and Giles began to snort with laughter, making no attempt to hide their amusement.

"I don't see why you find that funny, Giles," Riley sniffed. "It's becoming obvious that's what you all are – his minions. Somehow he's put you all under a strong thrall. I don't know why I didn't see it before this—"

Spike burst into more laughter and held his stomach as he doubled over. "I wish!" he said, gasping for air. "If you wanted to stake me, this might be a good time to try..."

"I think I recognize a thrall when I see one," Riley said, bristling with indignation. "I know what you've done to these people."

"You hear that, Watcher? I order you to pour me a drink. The good stuff."

Giles made a rude gesture at Spike, but his lips were still twitching with barely suppressed laughter. He waved the hand not holding the gun at the door.

"Go on, Riley. Get out of here. Go read a book. Learn something about thrall and minions. And vampires, while you're at it."

Still frowning, Riley left the apartment and waved off the men who had just decided he'd been gone too long and that they should see what was going on.

"Come on," he said without explanation. "I've got some research to do..."


	3. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

In spite of what he'd told Giles, Spike decided to at least go by the Summers house and make sure Joyce had the doors locked. He told himself he'd leave again if he had any reason to think he'd been followed; however, by the time he'd hit Willie's for some O neg and booze, hung out in a big tree for over thirty minutes just in case someone had followed him, and taken a circuitous route to the house, he was fairly confident that Riley was not following him. He went, as usual, to the back door and knocked softly so as not to wake Joyce if she'd already gone to bed.

She hadn't, and she quickly opened the door, clutching her bathrobe around her.

"I just decided you weren't coming, and was going to go to bed. I wasn't sure if I should lock the door or not."

"I'm sorry, Joyce. Ran into a spot of trouble with Buffy's I hope about-to-be-ex, and needed to make sure he wasn't still out and about. Didn't want to lead him here."

"What's that idiot done now?" Joyce narrowed her eyes, giving her more of a resemblance to her daughter than was normally evident. Spike grinned at her.

"You look a lot like Buffy when you get all brassed off like that," he said. "Haven't seen that look for a long time. Maybe not since you beaned me with that fire axe."

"I may not have Buffy's fighting skills or super strength, but I know how to defend my friends and family," she said, blushing a little at his admiring expression.

"That you do, luv," he said. "That you do. But I don't want you having to defend me. I'm an old vamp and I've been taking care of myself a long time. If Buffy hadn't been so insistent—"

"If she hadn't insisted you stay here, I would have. Now, if you're sure we aren't going to have soldiers breaking down the door, I'm going to take myself to bed, so keep the drapes pulled and the TV turned down low. I'll probably be at work by the time you wake up tomorrow, but there's blood in the fridge and Buffy and Dawn will be back around noon."

Spike nodded. "Want you to know how much I appreciate this, Joyce. If I thought for one minute I was putting you in danger..."

"Really, Spike? My daughter is the Slayer. The only person who's put me in danger so far is Rupert, when he allowed her to take that stupid test and I ended up kidnapped by the vampire that was supposed to kill her."

"He put her through the Cruciamentum?" Spike's expression went from affectionate and caring to frighteningly angry so quickly that Joyce flinched.

"He did. Then it turned out those horrible watcher-people set her up to be killed, but their nasty vampire escaped and kidnapped me, and Buffy had to fight him without her powers. She killed him somehow – I never did really understand how she did that with holy water – but anyway, she survived, and I survived, and I punched Rupert in the face and he quit his job, and it's all fine now... and will you please stop looking so intimidating?" Joyce stopped babbling to pant for air, watching as Spike's expression softened until he was smiling at her.

"I'm sorry, Joyce. I never heard about that. Must have been in South America then. I just assumed, since the Watcher wasn't working for the Council of Wankers any more and that Faith bint was here for a while, that Buffy had told them to stuff it long before they got to that barbaric ritual."

Joyce shook her head. "If I'd had the axe around then, I probably would have killed Rupert. I don't know when I've been so furious... or so frightened."

"Think the Watcher and I are going to be having a little talk tomorrow night," Spike growled. He shook himself. "But meantime, you should get some sleep. I'll just watch the telly for a bit and then take myself to the basement before morning."

"All right. Lock the doors before you go to sleep. Goodnight, Spike."

"Night, Joyce."

He watched her go upstairs, then locked all the doors before settling himself on the couch with the remote in his hand.

XXXXXXXXX

When the cab bringing Buffy and Dawn from the airport pulled up outside the house, Riley was waiting for them, leaning against his SUV, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"Riley? What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you to get home. We need to talk."

"It couldn't wait until I got unpacked? And how did you know I was coming home this morning?"

"_Spike_ told me," Riley said through gritted teeth. "It seems he knows more about your coming and going than I do."

Buffy looked uncomfortable for a second, covering her embarrassment by paying the driver and getting the luggage out of the cab. She'd been confident Riley understood that they weren't dating anymore, now she wasn't sure how to handle his obvious confusion between a fight and a break-up.

"About that..."

"It's all right, Buffy. I've figured out what's going on and I'm ready to help." He picked up her suitcase and then Dawn's. "I'll explain all about it when we get you inside."

Buffy and Dawn exchanged glances, then Dawn held out her hand. "Key?" she asked, nodding toward the door. "I really, really need to pee."

"Oh, right. Here you go. Hurry up and... and go pee."

She tugged on Riley's sleeve while Dawn bolted for the door and quickly let herself in, closing it behind her. "Let me have my own suitcase, Riley. It's not like I can't carry it, you know."

"Rubbing it in that you're stronger than I am?" he said, clinging to the handle. "I thought it didn't matter to you?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm asking for my suitcase because it's mine, and I'm perfectly capable of carrying it. If you want to be a gentleman and carry Dawn's, I'm fine with that." Hoping she'd given Dawn enough time to get Spike out of sight if he was there, she sighed and allowed Riley to follow her with both suitcases.

Dawn had grabbed a telltale bloody mug out of the sink and put it in the dishwasher. She pulled Spike's coat off the back of a chair, opened the basement door and tossed the coat down the stairs just as Buffy and Riley came in. She slipped into the downstairs bathroom, flushed the toilet, and emerged with a smile.

"Whew! I feel much better. Thanks, Riley, I'll take that now." Dawn grabbed her suitcase and put it at the bottom of the stairs. She met Buffy's questioning gaze with a small nod and shrug. While Riley was looking around the living room and had his back to them, she pointed to the floor. She shrugged again and shook her head when Buffy raised her eyebrows and mimed sleeping.

Riley came back into the foyer saying, "Dawn, would you mind giving me a few minutes with Buffy? I need to talk to her privately."

Dawn narrowed her eyes, then forced a smile. "Sure. No problem. I'll be downstairs doing my laundry." She flounced into the kitchen and opened the door to the basement only to run into Spike. Before he could say more than "We—" she slapped a hand over his mouth and pushed him back hard enough to almost send him tumbling down the stairs. "Shhh!" she hissed, moving onto the top step and pulling the door shut behind her.

He was obediently starting downstairs when he heard Riley's voice and stopped, snarling quietly. Dawn shook her head and nudged him to keep going, which he did, growling the entire way.

When they were sitting on the cot Joyce had given him, Dawn explained.

"He was waiting outside when we got home. We didn't know if you were here or not, so I came in first to make sure it was okay."

"Guess that explains the way my coat took itself down the stairs," he said, gesturing to where it was crumpled on the floor.

"Yeah, had to get rid of it in a hurry." She cocked her head at him. "Feel free to stop that growling any time now."

"Sorry, Bit. You've got no idea how I hate hiding out down here when if I didn't have this chip..."

"If you didn't have that chip, Buffy would have staked you last year. Just relax. She'll get rid of him pretty soon when—"

An outraged "_What_?" from upstairs had them both running for the steps.

"Stay here," Dawn hissed as she ran up and into the kitchen, slamming the door in his face.

"What's going on?" she asked, hurrying into the living room where Riley was wearing his most understanding smile as Buffy stalked toward him.

"Riley thinks I must be crazy because I won't let him stake Spike, so he wants to take me to a psychiatrist. To be given drugs to "help" me control the thrall he says Spike has put on me."

"Thrall? Spike?" Dawn burst into laughter, her giggles trailing off as she realized Buffy wasn't kidding. "Seriously, Riley? A thrall? That's too funny."

"It affects all of you, including your mother. I tried to talk some sense into her this morning, but she threw me out of the gallery."

"You told my mother you wanted to take me to a psychiatrist?" Buffy's eyes narrowed and her voice became cold and eerily steady. "Just so we're clear, if you ever come near my mother again, I will show you exactly how _much_ I was holding back last year when we sparred. My mother, my sister, my friends – which includes Spike, FYI – and my watcher are all off limits."

"I'm trying to save all of you."

"No. You're not trying to save anybody, Riley. You're trying to rationalize something you don't understand by calling it crazy."

"If you won't get help yourself, then you leave me no choice, Buffy. I'm pretty sure once Spike is dust, the thrall will be gone and you'll be yourself again."

Buffy stared at him with frightened eyes that soon narrowed to a slayer's cold stare. "I'm pretty sure you don't want to meet the "myself" I'd be if anything happened to Spike," she said slowly. "Anything like somebody setting up a trap in his crypt that could kill him... or anybody else who happened to walk in that door. Like, oh, I don't know... me? Or Dawn? Or Giles?" She watched as Riley's expression went from shocked to horrified. "Or was that part of the plan? Just kill the first person to walk through that door? Never mind who it was?"

"Oh my God, Buffy! Of course not! I never thought..." His expression darkened. "So he brings his minions to his crypt then. I had no idea it was that bad."

"_Minions? _Are you calling us minions?" Dawn was standing in front of Riley, bristling with teen-age indignation. "I'm not anybody's minion! I don't even obey my own mother! And minions are stupid! I'm not stupid."

"Dawn," Buffy said without expression. "Move away from Riley. I don't think we can trust him any more."

Eyes wide, Dawn backed away, flinching when Riley tried to put a hand on her arm.

"Don't be ridiculous, Buffy. That's not you talking, that's the vampire. As soon as we free you from his thrall, you'll understand that I'm just trying to help you."

"I understand that you tried to kill someone I'd made it pretty clear I didn't want dead – dusted – whatever. And that you tried to do it in a cowardly way that could have killed my sister or one of my friends. I think you should leave now, Riley."

"This isn't over, Buffy. It's not like you to allow a vampire this kind of influence over you—" He ignored Dawn's coughed "Angel" and Buffy's accompanying glare.

"Uh, Riley?" Dawn ventured.

"What?"

"That look on Buffy's face? I've seen it a couple of times before. I think now might be a good time for you get out of Dodge..."

He frowned at Dawn, then shook his head and turned his attention back to Buffy, who was standing perfectly rigid with her hands fisted at her sides.

"If you insist on being so stubborn about this, you leave me no choice but to research what happens to humans who have been bitten but not killed."

"Get. Out."

Trying very hard not to appear to be retreating in the face of Buffy's clearly violent intentions, he backed out the door and ran to his car. Buffy watched him drive off, then went to the phone and called her mother.

"Yes, we're home. Have been for a little while, but I had something to talk to Riley about... Yes, yes he did. I did let him know we knew about his little trap... No, I don't think he has any idea Spike is here. I'm pretty sure he would have said or done something stupid if he knew... Yes. We will. You too, Mom. Don't be alone with him or get into a car. If he shows up and won't leave, call the police... and me. Yeah, okay. See you when you get home. Love you too."

Buffy put the phone down and sighed, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. "I guess I'd better tell Giles what's going on—"

"He already knows most of it, Slayer." Spike's voice had Buffy whirling around.

"What are you doing upstairs? Get out of here!"

"Plannin' to, pet. Don't want to bring any more trouble on your mum than I already have." He shrugged into his coat and picked up the ratty blanket that he used to get to and from the manhole.

"You're leaving?"

"Just told me to get out, didn't you?"

"I meant, moron, to get back downstairs where nobody can see you through a window!"

"Oh. I knew that," he bluffed. "I was just..."

"You were just being an insecure jerk," Dawn said, remaining cheerful and unbothered in the face of his threatening growl.

"Come on," Buffy said, walking toward him. "Let's go downstairs and figure this out. Dawn, you should probably lock that front door. Just in case."

"Got it. I'll be upstairs unpacking all the 'I feel so guilty' clothes Dad bought me."

XXXXXXXXX

"So, I heard most of that. The big oaf sounds completely crackers." He was sitting on edge of his cot, while Buffy sat back against the wall so she could stretch out her legs.

Buffy sighed. "I don't know where he get his ideas. Last year, he thought all vampires and demons were just some kind of underground animal; now he thinks he knows all about thralls and minions and..."

"A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing."

Buffy gave him a sideways glance. "You don't have a thrall, do you?"

"Dunno," he said with a grin. "Never needed one, what with Dru being able to charm the birds out of the trees. Should I give it a try?" He leered at her and wiggled his eyebrows. "Look into my eyes... you are getting sleepy... you want to get naked... very sleepy..."

Buffy laughed and shoved him off the cot with her foot. "That's for a hypnotic trance, you dope."

"Oh. Well, guess I don't have one then. Too bad, or your ex... he is your ex, isn't he?... would be my first minion slave." He pushed himself up and settled down next to her, their shoulders touching.

"Not me? I think I'm offended." Buffy pretended to be angry and started to get up. An arm that felt like a steel band wrapped across her body and pinned her to his side. His breath in her ear made her shiver as he whispered, "Would like to think I wouldn't need it for you."

"You'd like to think that, huh?" she whispered back, with no idea why they were speaking so softly, other than it was a good excuse to put their mouths close to the other's face.

"Am I wrong?" he murmured, nibbling on the lobe of her ear. Buffy's answering "Guh!" got lost in the sound of the opening door and Dawn's footsteps on the stairs.

Moving a few inches apart as quickly as they could without seeming to be flinging themselves away, they turned equally insincere smiles at her. She frowned back and forth between them for a few seconds, then burst into a grin.

"That's totally cool!" she said, beaming at them. "Wait'll I tell Janice."

"Did you need something, Dawn?" Buffy said as sweetly as she could manage through gritted teeth.

"Oh. Well yeah, but it can wait till tonight."

"If it's important, tell me now."

"It's just... I had this idea... See, what if we throw some dust around Spike's crypt? And trip the booby trap? Let Riley think he dusted Spike. Then, when he sees that we're all really sad, and nobody's glad he's gone, he'll know it wasn't a thrall and that we all really like Spike." She beamed at them again. "Pretty good plan, huh?"

"Not bad, Bit. But means I'd have to leave town for a while." He put his arm around Buffy's shoulders and pulled her close again. "Don't think I really want to do that just now..."

Buffy leaned into him, but said, "Not that I want you to not be here, but it's not a bad idea. I just don't know if everybody could carry it off. You know Anya and her mouth..."

Spike looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then gave her a squeeze. "Right you are, pet. Would be a pretty big secret to hide. Probably not a good idea." When Dawn's face fell, he added quickly, "Was a brilliant idea, Bit. Didn't mean that it wasn't, just that Buffy's right. In order to be convincing, I think it would have to be real."

"Excuse me?" Buffy pulled away from him. "Really dusting isn't my idea of a solution – just so you know."

"Remember what you told me a while ago – how you'd feel if I was dusted?"

She nodded, frowning. "I said I'd be..." She glanced at Dawn, then shrugged. "...heartbroken... and really, really pissed off at Riley."

"Could you fake that? Knowin' that I was really okay and lolling around Vegas or some place like that?"

"I don't think I'd have any trouble being pissed off if that's where you were," Buffy snorted. "Vegas? Really?"

He waved his hand vaguely. "Was just an example I plucked out of the air. Didn't mean anything by it."

"Humph"

"Point is, you'd have to pretend I was really... gone. For as long as it would take for the farmboy to believe it and to see that nobody felt any differently about me."

"If we don't tell anyone besides Dawn – cause it's her idea – and maybe Giles..." She sighed. "I hate to do that to Mom, but..."

"So, you're going to do it?" Dawn was almost bouncing with excitement.

"We're going to talk about it. We'll decide if we want to try it at the Scooby meeting tonight."


	4. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Buffy looked around the table. "So, that's the deal. Spike and I will do our regular patrol tonight, then he'll go away for a while – after we set up his crypt to look like he got dusted by the booby trap. Once Riley sees that we're all still the same as we were before Spike left, he'll give up this stupid idea of his and leave us alone."

"Maybe I should remind him about... you know... Drac. Tell him I've been thralled and I know what it feels like." Xander sneered at Spike. "And trust me, this isn't it."

"You wish I'd made you my buttboy, Harris," Spike said with a leer. "Just be grateful I'm _not_ like that poncey gypsy." Ignoring the normal by-play between them, Giles took over the discussion.

"It won't work." He shook his head. "In the first place, I don't believe Buffy to be that good an actress." When she bristled, he said, "I'm not insulting you, Buffy. I'm merely suggesting that you are not capable of maintaining that level of dishonesty for a lengthy period of time." Ignoring her muttered "I fooled my mother for almost two years", he continued. "And don't think it wouldn't have to be a lengthy period of time. If Spike merely disappears for a few days, and then returns, Riley will know you were trying to fool him. He'll just consider it another demonstration of how much control Spike has over everyone."

"You're smushing my excitement, Giles," Buffy sighed.

While Buffy and the Scoobies got into of a discussion over how to make the idea work, Spike slid over closer to Giles.

"I can make it look real, Watcher," he said quietly. "If the Slayer doesn't have to do any actin', and I stay gone long enough—"

Giles shook his head before Spike could finish. "As loath as I am to admit this, thinking you actually _were _dust might well have a sufficiently detrimental effect on Buffy as to cause her to lose her focus and perhaps suffer a serious injury during the course of her duties. Or, perhaps worse, cause her to do serious harm to Riley in a grief-fueled fit of temper. I do not want her to endure living with the guilt of having killed a human."

Spike shrugged. "I'd like to think that's the truth, Watcher, but we both know she survived running a sword through the love of her life. Doubt I'd be worth much more than a few unhappy nights and maybe a GI Joe arse-kicking."

Giles studied him briefly before responding. "Buffy ran away from her home, her duties, and Sunnydale for several months after she "killed" Angel – or thought she had. As much as I'd like to think you're correct about how easily she would recover from losing you, I'm not at all sure that's the case. Particularly if she feels she was in any way responsible for it."

"You could tell her...after the hayseed has had enough time to believe I'm gone. Could tell everybody, if you thought it necessary. Or at least Joyce and Dawn. Doubt anyone else would be overly concerned about my demise."

Giles shook his head and walked toward the table where Buffy was glaring at her friends. "Please do not think about doing that to her," he said as he walked away, leaving Spike staring after him in bemusement.

XXXXXX

"Well, does anybody else have any ideas? Obviously Riley is going to keep trying to kill Spike, and obviously he doesn't stop to think about killing one of us by accident. I can't watch Spike 24/7 to make sure Riley isn't killing him."

"What's he got against you, fangface?" Xander asked with seemingly genuine curiosity. While Anya rolled her eyes, Willow and Tara giggled quietly, Buffy turned beet red, and Spike shrugged. "No, I'm serious. I mean other than you're evil and a bloodsucker and... yeah, okay. Reasons. But you've been you forever, how come he's just lately decided the world would be a better place without you in it?" He glanced around the table just time to see Spike and Buffy exchange questioning looks with Giles.

"What? What don't I know?" When Anya rolled her eyes again and walked away, he groaned. "Except for that thing I don't really want to know. If that's what it is, just kill me now. Let me die ignorant and happy."

Embarrassed giggles from Buffy and a disgusted snort from Spike made it clear that everyone knew exactly what he meant. Anya's "See!" only added to his dismay. "How did I not know this?"

"You didn't want to," Anya said. "I've been trying to tell you and you wouldn't listen. I should have made you bet with me. I could use some nice jewelry."

"Fine, fine. You were right. Happy now?"

"I'd be happier with an apology and a nice bracelet," Anya said, nodding her head.

Spike's smothered laugh sent Xander glaring in his direction. "This is all your fault!"

"It's nobody's 'fault', Xan," Buffy said quietly. "We don't even know if there is an 'it' yet. But Riley thinks there is, and that's what we have to worry about now."

Xander subsided, muttering to himself about vampires that don't know their place.

"So, then what is Plan B?" Willow asked. "If we don't think we can all pretend that Spike's dust long enough to make Riley give up the minion idea?"

"We don't actually have a Plan B yet," Buffy said, frowning in thought. "I'll just have to keep Spike close by—" a snort from Anya and another groan from Xander interrupted her musing. "What? I just meant—"

Spike touched her lightly on the shoulder. "Got a better idea, pet. Not as much fun as sticking to you like glue, but probably more useful for getting the big oaf off your back." When Buffy looked up at him, eyebrows raised, he smiled at her, but the expression in his eyes was sad.

"I'm just going to leave Sunnyhell. For a goodly period of time. Won't try to make it look like I dusted – might even take some stuff from the crypt with me – or hide it downstairs. No one has to be pretendin' anything, and no one has to lie to anybody. I'll just be gone. Let him think he scared me off." Spike's expression showed just how distasteful he found that idea. He looked at the curious humans staring back at him with various expressions of dismay, indifference or delight. "The Slayer will know where I am and she can call me back if or when she needs the extra muscle."

Buffy leaped to her feet and took his hand, dragging him into the training room and slamming the door behind them.

"Why are you doing this?"

He put his hand out and cupped her chin, wincing when she batted it away.

"Don't touch me! Answer my question. Why?"

Letting his irritation show, he growled back at her. "Because, you stubborn bint, it's the easiest way to fix things. It's me he wants to kill. If I'm not here, he's got no reason to be spying on people and setting traps that could get somebody else killed."

"But you won't be here," she said, a pout replacing her anger. "I want you to be here."

"Ah, Buffy, love, and I want to be here." He stepped closer and pressed his forehead against hers. "You can't even guess how much I want to be here... with you. But it's for the best. I won't go far, and I'll call you as soon as I have a way for you to reach me. Don't want you taking on anything too big without help."

"I have help," she muttered, "and I take on something big every spring... and I kick its butt. That's not what I'm mad about."

"And I don't even want you to know how good that makes me feel, sweetheart. I'll be back. I promise. When you need me or when you think it's safe... for everyone. And I'll call you every night."

"You're really going to go?" she asked in a much smaller voice as she moved even closer to him

He groaned and put his arms around her pliant body, groaning again as she melted in to him. "Not going to make this easy, are you, pet?" He nuzzled the side of her face, taking deep breaths as he pulled her even closer.

"Are you sniffing me?" Buffy asked, her voice muffled by his chest.

"Just sucking you in while I can," he said with a smile in his voice. "I'm gonna miss the hell out of you, Slayer."

Buffy pulled back and raised her head. "I'm going to miss you too." She frowned at him. "I think that should bother me more than it does. Maybe Riley's right about that thrall thing..."

He chuckled and brushed his lips across hers. "Trust me, Buffy, if I had something like that to use on you, you'd have kicked that hayseed out of bed a long time ago." He smothered her giggle with a real kiss that deepened as she stopped laughing and kissed him back.

They clung together, the kiss saying what neither one wanted to put into words, until there was a knock on the door. Breaking apart with great reluctance, they gave matching sighs and turned toward the exit. Spike stopped Buffy with a touch on her arm.

"Think it's best if I just go now, love. I'll swing by the crypt and get what I need to take with me – set it up to look like I left in a hurry. If you'll just check on it from time to time for me – keep the riff-raff out... Just watch out for the trap." He frowned. "In fact, there's no need to go in if the doors are closed. I think I'll leave it up so he'll know I didn't dust. Just in case he tries to check on it. Don't want him to have that much satisfaction." He growled deep in his chest. "If you need to know how much I love you, all you need to do is think about how much I hate lettin' that wanker think he scared me away."

Buffy squared her shoulders and smothered the protest she knew she shouldn't make. She left his "I love you" to mull over later.

"Okay. But be careful until you get out of Sunnydale. You know Riley will be watching for you."

"Always, love. Got too much to live for... now." With a last caress of her hair, he walked to the little-used back door and let himself out into the alley. "See you, Slayer."

"See you, Spike," she echoed before turning to rejoin her friends.

XXXXXXXXXX

Giles raised his eyebrows when Buffy came back into the room without Spike.

"He's gone," she said shortly, ignoring the sympathy on the faces of the women in the room. "So, sorry for calling the meeting, guys. Guess we don't need a plan now. We'll just let Riley think he scared Spike off. Just watch out for him – Riley – I mean. Who knows how weird he's going to be even when he knows Spike's gone?"

"Do you think he'd hurt one of us? On purpose, I mean." Tara's eyes were wide as she voiced what they were all thinking.

"We don't know that he won't. He wanted to... to drag me off to a psychiatrist to be de-programmed or something. He might try something like that with somebody who can't fight back as easily."

"We'll turn him into a toad!" Willow said.

"Can you do that?" Xander's curiosity was echoed by the less happy expression on Giles's face as they waited for her answer.

"Well..." Willow glanced at Tara who was frowning. "We don't know that we _can't_."

"I suggest you all endeavor to avoid those situations where transformations might be the only option," Giles said with a grimace. "With a bit of luck, if Spike is no longer here to aggravate Agent Finn, he will calm down and realize how foolish he is being. If he thinks he scared Spike off, all the better."

"Uh, G-man?" Giles glared at the hated nickname, but nodded to Xander. "If Spike's not here, do you think you could try talking in American? You know, less with the big words and more with the casual stuff?"

"I understood him," Willow said.

"Of course _you_ understood him, Wills. But you're all genius-y and smart. Some of us need translations."

"Are you saying Spike is a genius?" Buffy asked, her lips twitching in a small smile.

"What? No! No, I'm just saying he and Giles have all these conversations that make no sense because they're speaking British."

Buffy shrugged. "I usually understand Giles... and Spike. Unless he's swearing in British, then I miss a lot of words, but I'm guessing that's probably a good thing." She smiled again at Giles's "excellent guess" and walked to the door. "So, I'm going to do a patrol, anybody want to come with?"

There was silence until Xander sighed and raised his hand. "Anya's going to work late tonight. I can come with you and pick her up when we're finished."

"Great! Let's go."


	5. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"So, you and Fangface? What's that all about?"

Buffy sighed. "We don't know what it's about, okay? Other than Riley thinks Spike is breaking us up. Which I guess is right, in the sense that I told him a long time ago to leave Spike alone... and it's... possible... I might have come on a little stronger the last time he tried to do anything about it." She sighed again. "But I guess I didn't come on strong enough. He doesn't seem to get that I was already breaking up with him."

"I saw your face when Riley threw that stake at Spike's back. If he knew you like I do, he'd be spending all his free time making sure Spike didn't even get a hangnail that could be blamed on him."

"Well, apparently his new brilliant idea is that we're all thralled minions and it's his job to save us from ourselves."

They broke off the conversation long enough for Buffy to stake a vampire just emerging from his grave, and then take on the three older vamps coming to get him. Xander put his back against a wall and kept the crossbow cocked and ready while he watched Buffy eliminate the vamps with a minimum of quipping.

Brushing the dust off her clothes, Buffy continued as if there had been no interruption.

"I thought putting that booby trap in Spike's crypt was crazy – that's before I found out he thinks _I'm_ crazy! Or that we all are, based on some stupid thrall that Spike doesn't even have."

Xander sighed. "You know, Buff, I was really, really hoping Riley was the guy for you. All pulse-having and normal..."

"Are you suggesting that it's okay for him to want to kill Spike for helping me? Or to haul me off to a shrink because I don't want him to do it?"

"No. No, that's not what I'm saying. But I think we both know that he doesn't want to kill Spike because he's helping you... it's because of _why_ Spike is helping you. And the whole wanting to take you to a shrink... yeah, I don't really have a comeback for that. I guess he doesn't know you like we do, and he doesn't get that you'd protect any of your friends just as much as you would a... a..." He shuddered. "I just can't say it. Don't make me say it."

Buffy huffed a laugh. "I won't make you say it. I promise. Not until I'm really sure there's something to say, anyway."

"Face it, Buffy, if _I _can see it, there's something to say. I don't mean I think it's a good idea, but there's no denying what Deadboy Jr is all about, and it isn't the insane one anymore. He's moved on, and you're 'it'."

They paused to stake another fledgling that had come upon them while they were talking. While Buffy handled the newly-risen vampire, Xander kept his crossbow at the ready as he looked around for possible companions.

"The question is, do I want to be 'it'?" Buffy said as they resumed walking. "Can I even do that again? Let myself be with a vampire?"

"You're the only one who can answer that," Xander said with a shrug. "I think you know what my vote would be, but I'm guessing you're not planning to put it to a vote."

Buffy shook her head. "But if I was, my mom and Giles would be the ones I'd ask."

"Well, that's not fair! Your mom, for whatever reason, actually _likes_ the bloodsucker!" Xander looked offended. "And the G-man is all about bonding over the fact that they can speak not-American together."

She snorted and pointed towards the exit to the cemetery. "Liking Spike and thinking he'd be a good boyfriend for me are two very different things," she said, surprising herself with sudden insight. "It's just not an easy question, Xan. Not if you're the Slayer."

"Which you are," he pointed out, bringing the crossbow up. "Time to prove it," he added as they were surrounded by scabby little creatures in brown robes.

"What the hell—?"

Instead of attacking, the creatures surrounded them demanding to know what she'd done with the "Key". Buffy's face paled, but she kept her expression blank.

"What key? Do you have a key, Xander?"

"Got my house key, and one to the old jalopy. Not sharing either one of them with ugly munchkins, though."

"Glorificus wants her key. She says you have it, Slayer."

"Well, whoever she is, she's confused. So go back and tell her to forget about it."

When one of them jumped on Xander's back, only to have Buffy pull him off and toss him into his advancing companions, they hesitated long enough for Xander to begin firing bolts at them while Buffy pulled the sword out of the sheath on her back and began removing heads. They were able to keep the remaining creatures at bay as they backed toward the car and jumped in. Xander had it in motion before Buffy had even slammed her door.

"What were those?" he gasped. "And what's a Glorificus?"

"Beats me, but I'm guessing it's the skanky bitch that threw me through a wall a week or so ago. She was yelling about a 'key'."

"Do you have a key?"

Buffy frowned. "Maybe. I'll have to look into it. Doesn't matter, though. She's not getting it."

"Does she look anything like her buddies there? Cause if she does..."

"No. She was a slutty-looking woman in a too tight red dress."

"Huh." He cut his eyes to the side. "Threw you into a wall?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Next time, I'll be ready for her and I'll kick her skanky ass back to wherever it came from."

"Of course you will," he said loyally. "But if there's something like that out there, maybe it's not the best time for Spike to be taking a leave of absence."

"You don't think I can handle her by myself? You've never even seen her!"

"No. But you have, and she put you through a wall and lived to talk about it. And she has... things... doing her bidding. Things that don't really die until you cut off their heads, by the way."

"I noticed. So they're some kind of ugly demon. Doesn't mean I can't kick their boss's big butt. She just caught me by surprise the first time... and she disappeared before I could kill her."

"Uh huh. Okay. Well, maybe she'll trip over Riley and his heavily armed buddies and they'll shoot her."

"I can _handle_ this, Xander."

"Okay, okay. Message received."

They rode the rest of the way back to the Magic Box in silence. Buffy sighed as they pulled up in front of the store.

"I'm sorry, Xan. I know you're just trying to... but it's what I do, you know? Who or whatever this bitch is, I haven't seen her since we fought. And I was kinda hoping she'd left to look for her key somewhere else. I probably would have forgotten all about her if we hadn't seen those gross little creatures tonight. But I haven't run into her again, so right now it looks like Riley is my biggest worry."

"Ah yes. The scorned boyfriend. The one with big strong friends and lots of guns."

"And on that cheery note..." Buffy opened the door and got out. "I'll tell Anya you're here... and thanks."

"Gotcherback, Buffy."

She smiled at him. "I know you do. And I appreciate it. Good night."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hello?"

"Hello, love. Took me while to track you down."

"Spike? What do you mean, 'track me down'?"

"Called your mum's, then the watcher's, then the magic— never mind, pet. Should have thought of your dorm room first. Didn't realize you were going back on campus." He made no attempt to hide the concern in his voice.

"It's fine," Buffy said, the warmth of knowing he was worried about her mingled with her automatic anger at having her ability to take care of herself being questioned. "I ran into Riley after class yesterday, and turns out he'd already been to your crypt to check on his trap."

"Not to take it down, I don't suppose?" Spike's disgusted snort was loud in her ear.

"No. I guess he just looked to see if it was tripped or something. But it did give me a chance to tell him I thought you'd gone into hiding or maybe even left Sunnydale. I told him none of us had seen you for several days and that Willie seemed to think you'd left town." She paused, then, "He was pretty pleased with himself."

"Wanker."

"Yeah, well, anyway, it got awkward for a minute or two. He figured if you'd left, then I'd coming running back to him or something."

There was silence.

"It took me a while to convince him that wasn't happening – so now he thinks you're just hiding out somewhere and watching us and I'm still in thrall. But at least he knows you're not hanging around me or anybody else."

"Guess I need to stay gone then," he said with a sigh. "It's like the watcher said, if I come back too soon, he'll just reckon we were trying to fool him that the thrall was gone."

"I guess so..."

"Miss you, love," he said. "It's only been a few days and I'm already going crazy."

"I... I miss you too – in a whole I'm-just-used-to-you-being-around kind of way," she added hastily, glaring at the phone when he just laughed.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, Buffy. Have you got paper and pen handy?"

"I'm in my dorm room. Where I keep my school stuff."

"The question stands, Slayer. I've seen your version of schoolwork..."

"Jackass. What do I need them for?"

"Want to give you this number. In case you need me for something... or just want to talk to me... or have phone sex—"

"Pig!"

"Oink, love. Now write this down..."

Buffy scribbled the number he gave her onto the inside of the nearest book. "Okay. I got it. Maybe in a couple of days..."

"Gonna have to be longer than that, Buffy" he said. "You know that as well as I do. I've got to stay gone long enough for him to be sure I'm not influencing you in any way."

"Yeah, yeah," she sighed. "I know you're right. It's just..."

"Trust me, love. Whatever you're 'just...' goes double for me."

Buffy couldn't smother a yawn in time and he quickly responded. "Didn't mean to keep you up. Just wanted you to have the number. Get some sleep, Slayer."

"Will you call me again tomorrow night?"

"Will. I'll call you as often as I can. But I'm not coming back until you tell me to."

"'K. Goodnight, Spike."

"Goodnight, Buffy. Sleep well."

XXXXXX

"Do you miss him?"

Buffy startled and started to protest, then sighed and shrugged, admitting the last several Spike-less weeks had not been much fun. "Yeah, I do. I kinda got used to having him around, you know? It feels like there's something missing when I patrol."

Willow nodded. "I think we all got used to having him around. Even Xander was wondering the other day when Spike was coming back. It's been a long time since you told Riley Spike ran away. Don't you think it's safe by now?"

"As soon as I'm sure Riley has figured out that he was wrong about the thrall, I'll tell Spike to come back."

"He hasn't tried to sneak back here – just to see you?"

"Aren't you all with the nosy questions today," Buffy said, smiling to show that she wasn't angry about it. "We talked about it, but—"

"Speak of the devil," Willow said softly. Buffy stared around in surprise, looking for Spike, then saw who Willow was referring to.

"Buffy! Willow! I haven't seen you in forever. How are you?"

The two girls blinked, taken back at Riley's exuberant greeting.

"Uh, hi, Riley. How's it going?"

"Great. It's going great. I'm doing a lot of practical research on vamp bites and thralls and—"

"_Practical_ research? What the hell is that?" Buffy had been going out of her way to avoid Riley in the weeks since she'd told him she thought Spike had left Sunnydale; it suddenly occurred to her that ignoring him might not have been the best idea.

Riley looked uncomfortable as he noticed the expressions on their faces.

"It's... it's nothing. Just looking into stuff, you know. Not making much progress on the thrall thing – apparently it's not something all vamps can do – but I think I'm beginning to see the appeal of being bitten. You didn't tell me it felt good, Buffy."

"_Excuse me?_ Why would I tell you something like that? It doesn't feel good – it hurts like hell. Even Drac – speaking of thralls_—" Buffy shuddered. "Even that didn't feel _good_, just, you know, not as painful as the Master and Ang—Okay, you know what? I don't know where you got the idea being bitten feels good, but you need to get over it. It doesn't feel good and it usually leaves you feeling..._dead."_

"You don't have to pretend with me, Buffy. I've been talking to people who know better – and I'm about ready to try it myself."

"Have you lost your freaking mind?" Buffy's voice was more of a shriek than she'd intended, but she decided the situation warranted it. Lowering the volume a little, she continued, "Riley, I don't know who you've been talking to, but when vampires bite, it's because they're hungry. They really don't much care if it hurts you because you're going to be dead!" Her voice had risen again as she went on, and she stopped to take a deep breath. Before she could begin again, Giles opened the door of the Magic Box.

"Buffy, are you trying to frighten away my customers?"

She waved her hand at Riley. "Giles, he thinks he can go get himself chomped on and it won't hurt and he'll be fine. Talk to him!"

Rather than add an immediate agreement, Giles narrowed his eyes at Riley and stared for a long minute before saying quietly, "That can be quite dangerous, Riley. I cannot suggest that you explore it any further."

Riley blinked as he realized Giles obviously knew more than the girls did about where he was planning to do his "research".

"I know how to be careful," he said, meeting Giles's gaze with a firm look of his own.

"What? Giles? What are you two talking about?"

Rather than answering, he opened the door wider and gestured for Buffy and Willow to come into the store. He quite obviously closed it before Riley could make any attempt to follow them inside.

"Um, Giles? Just so you know, Buffy and I have no idea what that was just about."

"As well you shouldn't," he replied without further explanation. "Suffice it to say that you will need to be very careful around that young man from now on – and not because he still thinks we're all in thrall to Spike." His derisive snort made them both giggle before they remembered he hadn't actually answered their question.

"Giles, I'm the Slayer. The vampire bites expert? Care to share? Is there something I should know?"

Giles gave a heavy sigh. "Possibly. But_ I_ don't intend to share it. If you're wildly curious, I suggest you ask Spike the next time you talk to him. Perhaps he will enlighten you..." He frowned, adding, "Do make it clear that I mean he is simply to explain it to you. A demonstration will not be necessary, and in fact, will destroy what little trust I have gained in his good intentions."

Buffy put her hands on her hips and tapped one foot. "So, you want Spike to explain why Riley thinks he can get bitten without dying – and why it won't hurt. But he can't bite me to prove it."

Giles winced. "Essentially. Yes."

"Why didn't you just say that instead of talking in some kind of Giles/Spike code? Do you think I'm stupid?"

He shook his head. "No. I do not think you are stupid, Buffy. Far from it. But this is not something I am particularly comfortable telling you about, and Spike, for good or ill, is not likely to have those reservations." He walked to the back of the store to fix himself a cup of strong tea.

"You are going to tell me what you find out from Spike, right?" Willow asked, her unhappy _how-can-there-be-something-I'm-not-an-expert-on?_ expression firmly in place.

"Of course I will. I'm going to ask him as soon as he calls tonight—"

Giles came back with his cuppa just in time to hear her. "Actually, Buffy, I don't think it would be a bad idea to suggest it's time for him to return. I doubt our behavior since he left has done anything to reinforce Riley's 'thrall theory', and it should have made it obvious that we were being perfectly normal while he was here."

"Really!" Buffy's face lit up. "You think he can come home?"

"I think if Riley is seriously thinking about getting himself bitten, having Spike here could be a good idea. He will have access to... to places you do not."

"More cryptic crap," Willow muttered, blushing when Giles glared at her. "Oops? I didn't think you could hear that."

"I'm not deaf, Willow. As much as some of you may wish from time to time."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, what's the deal?" Buffy settled back against her pillow for her nightly conversation with Spike. "Is he right? Can he get bitten without being killed? And why would a vamp do that? And why wouldn't it hurt?"

"Short answers are: yes, because, and it wouldn't be in the vamp's best interest."

"'splainy, please."

"Tell me again why the watcher said for you to ask me?"

"I dunno. He said _he_ didn't want to share it with me, but he didn't think you'd have any problems with it. I'm not sure, but I think that might have been a slam at you."

Spike's rich chuckle came through the phone. "Don't doubt but it was, love. Watcher thinks he's too much of a gentleman, and he knows I'm not."

"Okay – first question is how can that happen, and the second question is still why would it?"

He sighed. "Actually all the answers are tied together. He knows he can do it because he's obviously located a bite house..." When she began her "Wha—" he hurried on. "Some humans like to live on the wild side, pet. You know that. And they enjoy being bit. And some vamps don't like to or can't hunt, but they need to eat to live. Bite houses are where the two can find each other. The vamp gets what he or she needs, the human gets what he or she wants. It's not in the vamp's best interest to kill the goose that lays the bloody egg – so to speak. So, they take is slow and careful, and they make the bite good."

"Good?"

There was silence for a moment until she prompted him. "Spike?"

"Sorry, love. Just trying to figure out how to say this. The thing about biting is... if it's done slowly and carefully, and under the right circumstances... it can feel so good the... bitee... doesn't notice the pain."

"And those circumstances would be?"

He sighed heavily. "If the parties are havin' a shag, it can boost the... sensations."

It was Buffy's turn to be silent.

"Slayer?"

"I'm here. So that means Riley's going to—"

"Probably so." Silence. "Are you alright?"

"My boyfriend— okay, _ex_-boyfriend, don't get all huffy— is going to be getting suck jobs and... other... stuff from vamp sluts. Awesome."

"Was kind of hopin' that wouldn't matter to you anymore," he said, his voice not as flat and noncommittal as he'd probably hoped.

She shook her head, even though she knew he couldn't see her. "I'm not jealous, if that's what you mean. Not like I was when that red-headed ho was—" She stopped, realizing what she'd just admitted. "Shut up," she said before he could crow about it. "I just meant it's like every other Buffy romantic train wreck. I should just go into a nunnery."

"Over my undead body," he growled.

She giggled. "I guess that's why Giles said to tell you to explain it to me but not to demonstrate it. He said it would destroy his trust in you."

Spike snorted. "Doubt he trusts me any farther than he can throw me," he said. "But I wouldn't abuse your trust like that."

"He also said you should probably come back now. I'm not sure what that has to do with Riley's 'research', but he seemed to think you'd be able to find—"

"He thinks I'll know where the bite houses are," Spike finished for her.

"Uh, yeah. I guess?"

"Alright, love. I'll head home now. Probably be too late when I get in to see you tonight, but you can come by the crypt in the morning."

"Or, I can just wait there and nap till you get home. My laundry's probably dry by now. I can just leave Mom a note that I'm heading back to the dorm tonight."

There was a lengthy silence. "Would like nothing better than to find you waiting for me... in my bed. But if that's not what you meant, we'll probably both be happier if we catch up tomorrow." He didn't wait for her to reply before he went on. "Anyway, told you I never took that bloody booby trap down, so I don't know how you'd get in without being killed. Finding your body waiting for me wouldn't exactly make my day..."

"Oh, I forgot about that dammed trap. The door's always closed when I go by to check, so I keep forgetting about it."

"Didn't get around to it before I left town. Warned you lot, and my buddy Clem, couldn't really think of anyone else might pay me a surprise visit, so takin' it down didn't seem that important at the time. I'll take care of it tonight. Soon's I get back."

"Okay. See you in the morning, then. I... I'm glad you're coming home. I mean, you know. To help out with... stuff..."

There was an audible smile in his voice as he replied, "Missed you too, Buffy. See you soon. Sleep well."

"Bye, Spike."


	6. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Buffy was awake earlier than usual, showered, dressed, and was eating a bowl of cereal when her mother came downstairs, already dressed for work.

"You're up early. Do you have an early class today?"

"No – well, actually, yes, but that's not why I'm up early. Spike was supposed to come back last night and I'm going to go by his crypt to see if he got home before I go to class."

"He's not coming here? Is that... ugliness with Riley all taken care of then?"

"No. I thought it might be, because we haven't seen much of him except around campus, but he's got some other weird idea now, and Giles thinks it would be good for Spike to come back."

"Well, you be sure Spike knows he's still welcome here if he needs a safe place to stay."

"Thanks, Mom. I think he knows that, but we're hoping it'll be okay now if Riley has really given up that stupid "thrall" idea." Buffy got up and carried her bowl to the sink. "But just in case he's getting even stupider..." She caught her mother's gaze and held it. "...don't let him in the house. Especially if it's night time."

Joyce frowned, then her eyes grew wide. "Are you saying Riley is now a vampire?"

"Well, not as of yesterday afternoon. But if he's really going to do what he said he is, he could find himself one without meaning to. And if that happens... he's not going to have a soul, and he's not going to have a chip, so he'll be just like any other vampire. You shouldn't go near him."

"Is that why Spike is coming back? So you won't have to stake Riley?"

Buffy shook her head. "I could stake Riley if I needed to. I wouldn't be happy about it, but I could do it. I think it's more like Giles thinks Spike might be able to stop it from happening because he can go places I can't."

Joyce sighed and leaned over to hug Buffy. "I'm so sorry, honey. You really don't have much of a life, do you?"

"Hey – I have you and Dawn, and my friends, and Giles, and... other... friends..."

Joyce laughed and straightened up. "Yes, you do have other friends. And you are obviously anxious to see him. Just please be sure Dawn is up and getting ready for school before you leave, will you? I'm going in early today so I can get some paperwork done before we open." She turned to leave the kitchen but paused for a moment, holding on the end of the counter as she put a hand on her head.

"Mom? You okay?"

"I'm fine, honey. It was just a twinge. I've had a few headaches lately, but this one seems to have come and gone all by itself, so that's good."

"Headaches?"

"It's nothing. I need a little more sleep, I think."

"Maybe you should see a doctor."

"Oh, I will. If they don't go away or get worse or something. Don't worry about me. You just worry about keeping Riley from turning into a vampire... and getting good grades this semester." Joyce smiled and waved as she went out the door to her car. Her stumble as another pain shot through her head wasn't visible to Buffy who had already started upstairs to wake Dawn.

XXXXXXXX

As Buffy approached Spike's crypt, she wondered if he'd remembered to dismantle the trap before he fell asleep for the day. Reminding herself to check before opening the door, she put down the bag of laundry she'd done at her mother's and knelt to peer through the ajar outer door for any sign of a trigger. She frowned when she noticed that the inner door was also ajar, and that what may have been a trip wire was lying broken on the floor. With a gasp, she pulled the door the rest of the way open and crawled into the dimly lit crypt.

The first thing to greet her gaze was a small pile of dust. Buffy gave a whimper as she glanced upward to see the crossbow bolt embedded in the wooden door. A quick scan of the room showed the crossbow was disarmed and dangling from its support. She ran a tentative hand through the powdery residue on the floor, fighting back fear as she told herself Spike would never have forgotten to come in another way.

"Hey, Slayer. Don't be worryin' about whoever that was. Wanker had no business coming in here. Prob'ly trying to see what he could steal."

Spike was just coming up the ladder from his bedroom as he spoke. When he noticed Buffy's expression he quickly crossed the space between them and pulled her to her feet. He ran a hand over her face, brushing away the worried expression on it.

"I'm sorry, love. Thought I'd get up here to clean that up before you got here. If I'd known it was going to scare you..."

"I'm fine," she said, sniffling in spite of herself. "I knew you weren't stupid enough to come through that door."

"Of course you did," he said, smiling at her in a way she was sure no one else ever got to see. "Of course you did. You were just mourning the death of whoever this poor sod was."

"All right, for maybe one heart-stopping minute I might have been just a teensy bit... concerned. Maybe."

"Now why would the Slayer be concerned about an old vamp that's tried to kill her?" He put his arms around her and nuzzled the side of her face, frowning when she stiffened.

"Way to remind me of what a bad idea this is, Spike," Buffy said as she turned away from him and went out to get her bag of clothes. She dropped it on the floor and shut the door behind when she came back in, still not meeting his worried gaze.

"I'm sorry, love. Not really something I should be reminding you of, I guess."

"Ya think?" She remained by the door, pretending to be studying the bolt stuck in the wood.

Spike sighed and walked to his old couch, throwing himself down on it with a growl. "Not really how I pictured this reunion going," he muttered, putting his head back and closing his eyes.

Buffy took a deep breath, then turned to walk back toward him, struggling to adjust to the dim light now that the door was closed.

"So," she said, trailing her fingers along the back of the couch until she was touching his hair. "How did you picture it going?"

"More snogging and less feeling like a wanker," he said, opening his eyes to stare up at her. "The more we keep my mouth busy doing other things, the less likely it is to get me in trouble."

Buffy snorted her agreement and finished her circle of the couch standing in front of him. "You know 'snogging' sounds kind of disgusting, don't you? It's right up there with Xander's 'tonsil hockey' for less-than-romantic images."

He gave one of his deep chuckles that warmed her all over. Patting his lap, he said, "See what I mean? You need to give me something else to do with my mouth."

"I just came by to be sure you got back okay," she said, in spite of allowing him to pull her down onto his lap. "I have classes to go to this morning."

"Of course you do," he murmured, brushing his lips across hers. "I wouldn't dream of keeping you from getting an education..." In spite of his words, he fastened his lips on hers and kept them there until, with a sigh, she slumped against him and began kissing him back. With no other people waiting just outside the room this time, the kisses quickly progressed until Buffy was lying across Spike's lap and breathing heavily. His hand was running up and down her thigh, then over her rib cage, never stopping and never touching anything she could complain about.

Not that she was planning to complain... their kisses had long since passed the point of exploration and were deep and unending. Only when Buffy would pause to gasp a full breath of air, did Spike move his mouth from hers long enough to murmur how much he'd missed her and how wonderful she felt.

When he slid sideways so that their torsos were touching and their legs were entangled, she eagerly wrapped her arms around him and pressed against his hard body. With a groan, he grasped her ass and pulled her hips against him, pushing the impressive bulge in his jeans into her stomach. Buffy hooked one leg over his, putting the bulge where she wanted it.

They were so wrapped up in each other and in the sensations they were creating, that they almost missed the voices outside. Only Spike's vampire hearing picked them up at first, but when he froze and cocked his head, Buffy strained her ears also and finally made out the mumbling from the other side of the wooden door.

"Damn!" she hissed. "I should have closed both doors. Who do you think it is?"

"It's your ex, and at least one of his buddies. How do you want to handle this, Slayer? Hide downstairs, or brazen it out?"

She sighed and disentangled herself from his arms and legs. "Let's get it over with," she said, standing up and straightening her shirt. "But hide that ladder to downstairs..."

Growling softly, Spike rolled off the couch and to his feet. He made short work of covering the entrance to his bedroom, and joined Buffy, standing by her side. The door was now barely ajar, and they watched as Riley mimicked Buffy's earlier actions and stayed close to the ground while he checked for the trigger. They could tell when he'd spotted the broken wire.

"Damn! I wonder if I got lucky and nailed him?"

Buffy gestured for Spike to go to the dark area in the back of his crypt. With a shrug, he vanished behind the refrigerator, leaving Buffy, hands on hips, glaring at the man crawling into the room.

"You can stand up now, Riley," she said loudly, smothering a giggle at the way he flinched. "There's dust on the floor and an arrow in the door, so mission accomplished... sort of."

Trying not to appear sheepish and foolish, Rile stood up and came further in to the crypt. He avoided stepping on the dust pike in front of the door and made room for Graham to enter also.

"Buffy. I didn't expect to see you here."

She could see him studying her face for any signs of tears or anger, but she kept it a cold mask as long as she could, hoping he would think she was unthralled and, in his warped view, now unconcerned about Spike.

"What did you expect to find, Riley? Don't tell me you were finally going to take down your booby trap."

"No, I... how did _you _get in?"

"Same way you did," she said with a shrug. "The doors were open, so I crawled in until I could see it was safe to stand up."

"Oh." Riley gave a curious glance around the room. "So... do you think..." He gestured at the dust pile, watching Buffy's expression carefully.

"Do I think that's Spike? Really, Riley? Do you think you'd still be standing if I had any reason to think you'd killed Spike?"

"Oh... then you don't... It's not him?" Riley's disappointment was palpable.

"Spike's not that stupid," Buffy said with a shrug. If Riley noticed she hadn't directly answered his question, he didn't say so.

"So you don't know where Spike is," he settled for asking. "He really has run away. I knew he would once he realized I was serious."

"I just said he isn't stupid enough to have walked into a trap he already knew about."

"Not to mention, he's too afraid of me to come back here," Riley sneered, high-fiving his companion and laughing.

"Sorry to disappoint, wanker." Spike's voice preceded his appearance by only a few seconds, but it was long enough for Riley to pull a stake from his belt as he stared wildly around the room.

Spike moved into position on Buffy's left and smirked at the two soldiers.

"You shouldn't have come back here, Hostile Seventeen," Riley snarled.

"You sure I was gone?" Spike laughed openly at the fury and confusion on Riley's face.

"So... the thrall is still in place. I'm sorry, Buffy. I thought you'd gotten over it."

Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes, noticing as she did that Graham had also rolled his eyes – if somewhat less obviously. She grinned at him, then turned her attention back to Riley.

"Didn't you tell me at some point... oh yeah, it was yesterday... that you've learned more about thralls and how rare they are?"

"Well, yeah, but..." Riley waved the stake around. "There's no other possible explanation for this... this... tolerance for a hostile."

"Aside from the fact that he helps me out a lot – and did before, even when he wasn't chipped? Or the fact that we like him—well, some of us like him. I guess 'tolerance' might be a better word for how Xander feels—" She giggled when Spike snorted his agreement. "Anyway, it's not a thrall, Riley. We tried to tell you that weeks ago. He just went away so you'd have time to figure it out."

"Then why is he back? And what are you doing _here?" _Riley gestured around the crypt. "Is this where he bites you?"

While Buffy sputtered, torn between outrage and laughter, Riley's companion mouthed "I'm sorry" at her as he edged toward the door. Spike stepped closer to the much taller man and, ignoring the stake in Riley's hand, made sure he had eye contact as he said very softly, "I'm back because Rupert is worried you're going to do something very stupid, and he thought I'd be the best person to see that you don't. Being as how I'm the one who knows the most about biting people and where a wanker like you might go to find out what it's like."

Stepping back just far enough to be sure he could block an intended strike, he added in a normal voice, "Although if you're all that anxious to get yourself bit, no sense going to a stranger. I'd be happy to accommodate you." The wolfish grin on Spike's face as he let his fangs drop made his intention perfectly clear and Riley took an involuntary step backwards before recovering himself.

"Buffy! Did you hear that? He threatened me. Are you going to pretend you didn't hear it?"

"Oh, for Pete's sake, Riley. He threatens people all the time. He can't hurt you. You, if anybody, ought to know that." She rolled her eyes and punched Spike on the arm. "Stop scaring Riley, Spike. Behave yourself."

Laughing and rubbing his arm, Spike dropped his vampire mien. "Spoil sport," he snorted. "You never let me have any fun."

Buffy raised her eyebrows at him and whispered, "Really? Never?" before turning back to the two soldiers, leaving Spike with a grin on his face.

"Look, guys." She gave an apologetic shrug to Riley's companion for including him. "I'm only going to say this once: Spike doesn't have a thrall, he's still chipped and harmless to humans, and... and..." She took a deep breath. "And going to some sort of vamp whorehouse to get yourself bitten is a really, really bad idea."

While Graham stared at him, his shocked expression making it clear that he knew nothing about his buddy's plans, Riley drew himself up to his full height.

"You've made it very clear that you're no longer interested in me, Buffy, so I don't think you have a right to question my actions. If you can have a vampire in your life, I don't see why I can't."

Buffy stared at him, finally saying with a sad shake of her head, "The 'vampire in my life' is someone I've known for a long time, Riley. He doesn't bite me, couldn't even if he wanted to, and we don't... haven't... Know what? It's none of your business. Whatever relationship I have, or might have someday, with Spike is no danger to me or to my friends and family. What you're thinking about doing could put you and all your friends in jeopardy. Do you really want me to have to stake you someday?"

"I'm not planning to get myself turned," he said, sending a glance sideways at his companion's still amazed and frightened expression. "That's not the point of this." He glared at Spike, now standing just behind and to the left of Buffy. "But if it did happen, who knows? Maybe you'd find me more appealing than your pet vampire. We both know you have a thing for those creatures you're supposed to hate. I'll be just your type."

Rather than getting angry as Riley had expected, and halfway hoped, Spike just snorted and shook his head. "Still don't know the difference between an old vamp and a fledge, do you, wanker? You'll be so busy slavering for her blood you won't even have time to notice how gorgeous she is before she makes you dust."

Finally noticing Graham's hand on his arm, urging him to leave, Riley shook him off, but began to back out of the crypt. "This isn't over, Hostile Seventeen." He repeated his threat from weeks ago.

"Got that right," Spike muttered, too softly for Riley to hear, although he never took his cold gaze off the retreating men.


	7. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Spike walked over and slammed the wooden door closed, muttering to himself about putting a lock on it. When he turned around, Buffy was holding her bag of clean clothes and staring at him, a worried expression on her face.

"Maybe you'd be safer at my house," she said. "I don't like the idea of leaving you here by yourself all day."

"Can't say I'm real fond of that idea myself," he snorted "The 'by myself' part anyway." He gestured to her burden. "But I'm guessing the mood is ruined and you're about to tell me you have to leave..."

"I am. I really do need to go to class, and I don't want to spend the rest of the day carrying my clean laundry around with me. I'll be done for the day by early afternoon and I'll come back. 'K? You can get some sleep while I'm gone." She paused, her expression worried. "Have you eaten? Do I need to bring you some blood?"

He put his arms around her, ignoring the bulky barrier between them, and kissed her forehead. Dropping his arms before she could accuse him of trying to wrinkle her clean clothes, he stepped back.

"I'll be fine, love. Brought some supplies back with me, so the fridge is stocked. I_ could_ use some kip, though, so I'll just go back to bed and be waiting for you there..."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Just get some sleep. We might have things to do tonight."

"I'm countin' on it," he said with a leer, laughing when she snorted and shook her head.

"You're incorrigible." She began to open the door again, struggling a bit with her armful of clean clothes and smiling when he rushed to open it for her. "A lock might not be a bad idea," she said.

He nodded. "Already figured out what to do," he said. "But I'll leave it easy to open until you get back. Then we'll lock it up and I'll show you the other way to get in and out of here."

"Okay, well don't get dusted while I'm gone."

"Think it'll be okay, love. His mate didn't look like he was very interested in coming back, and I suspect they're having a chat right now about what your ex is planning. Might be his buddies will talk him out of it, or stop him somehow."

"I hope so." Buffy's tone indicated she thought Spike was living in a dream world, but she smiled her encouragement. "See you later."

"Yes you will," he said, licking his lips lasciviously. Reminded that while Spike was hiding at her mother's she'd found out the hard way that he slept naked, Buffy blushed and glared at him.

"You just be awake and dressed when I get here," she said, her face bright pink, as she walked out into the sunshine. "You hear me, Spike?"

"Can't hear you, Slayer. Door's closed," he shouted as he pushed it closed behind her.

Laughing with him, Buffy used her hip to close the outer door before walking away.

XXXXXXXXX

After dropping her clothes off at her dorm. Buffy met Willow at the campus coffee shop.

"Hi, Wills. Hey, Tara." Buffy smiled her greeting as she joined them in line. "Do we have time for this?"

"I think so," Tara said. "My class isn't for another forty-five minutes and yours starts after mine."

"Good, I could use some caffeiney goodness." Buffy gave her order and walked to a table with them.

"What's up? Did Spike come back?"

"Yeah. He's back, but Riley's still talking about staking Spike and getting himself bitten by strange vamps."

"What about that? Does Spike know anything about it?"

"Oh yeah." Buffy smiled her thanks as Tara went up to get their drinks. "Wait'll you hear this."

Buffy waited until Tara came back with their drinks before filling them in on what Spike had told her about bite houses and "good" bites.

"Wow... you think you know your hometown..."

"I know, right? I mean, I'm the Slayer, and I didn't know there were people getting bitten on purpose."

"What are you going to do about it?"

Buffy frowned. "Haven't really thought that far. The creepy thing is that Giles obviously knows about these places, or at least he knows they could exist. I mean, it's my job to slay vamps, right? So shouldn't he have told me about these places?"

With her usual shy reticence, Tara offered, "Maybe, if they aren't hurting anybody..."

"How do we know that? Just 'cause Riley thinks he knows something. I heard Giles tell him it was dangerous..."

"I wonder how _he_ knows that..." Willow's gaze was more thoughtful than curious, and Buffy gaped at her until Willow noticed it. "What? It's not like we don't know Giles used to play on the wild side."

"Okay," Buffy shuddered. "There's a thought I'm not going to be able to get out of my mind..."

XXXXXXXX

As soon as classes were over, Buffy ran to the Magic Box to talk to Giles about the latest from Riley.

"So, that's the deal. He's still pissed off that Spike is alive and helping me, I guess... " Buffy frowned when Giles broke into her musing.

"Buffy, you're not a child, nor are you that foolish. Riley isn't angry because Spike helps you slay. Whether correctly so or not, he is jealous that Spike seems to have replaced him in your affections and he thinks if he gets rid of Spike..." He grimaced. "I'm not sure what he thinks will happen, but from the look on your face when you mention his attempts on Spike's life, I'm fairly certain it will not be the reaction he's looking for."

Buffy sighed her agreement. "Okay, fine. He's pissed off because he thinks I dumped him for Spike. Which I didn't... not really. I mean I dumped him because he tried to _kill _Spike, but not because I was already..." She trailed off, remembering her reaction to seeing Spike with the slutty redhead and the things they'd admitted to each other in the Bronze ladies room. She sighed again. "Okay, maybe he was seeing something I wasn't. But I don't know why he would think killing Spike would make me come running back to him." She raised her gaze to meet his. "Sometimes I think Riley doesn't quite get the whole _'slay'_ part of Slayer."

"Well, let's hope he has no reason to find that out the hard way. If his friends cannot convince him not to pursue his latest idea, perhaps Spike can spread the word that the Slayer would take it amiss if she found anyone indulging Riley's wish to explore his dark side."

"Would that work? Would nobody bite him if they knew I'd be looking for them?"

"I've no idea. Up until now those vampires who are willing and able to meet that particular need have probably remained beneath your radar. They don't hunt, and probably know what you are and how to stay away from places they might run into you. Finding out that you know about them and their activities is going to be frightening enough. The knowledge that you would be less than happy with anyone who obliged Riley's obsession should be enough to keep them away from him." He frowned. "You never know, though. It may depend on how hungry they are, or how stupid."

"Most vamps are stupid," Buffy snorted. "That's how they get to be vampires."

Giles nodded his agreement. "Quite so. But not all of them are. More than a few become vampires because they want to – or thought they wanted to at the time."

"All right." Buffy stood up. "I just wanted to bring you up to speed. I'll patrol tonight, and maybe have Spike show me where those bite houses are. Just so I know." She cocked her head at him. "Why aren't you telling me I have to kill them all? Isn't that what I should do if I find a nest full of vampires? Burn it down or something?"

"In a perfect world, yes, I suppose you should. And there_ is_ an inherent danger in the practice, obviously. Not all vampires are going to have the self-control required to stop drinking before they have gone too far."

"So, why _aren't _you telling me to burn them down?"

Giles didn't meet her gaze as he mumbled his reply.

"What? I couldn't hear you."

"I said, you must do what you feel is right. These places have always existed, and no doubt always will. I'm not willing to suggest that you should_ not _take them down, all I can do is tell you that others will pop up in their place."

"Why does that sound kinda familiar?"

"Because it's the excuse you usually hear when the public are demanding that unsavory activities others enjoy be made illegal or that existing laws about them be more strongly enforced. People _will _indulge their vices. They always have and they always will. And as long as that is true, there will always be those willing to provide the services."

"That doesn't make it right, Giles!"

"No. It does not. But I am much older than you and I've long since learned there are some things worth fighting and some not. Which are which is a decision everyone must make for him or her self."

"They're _vampires, _Giles. They bite people! I'm the Slayer. I slay vampires!"

He was silent, waiting for her to acknowledge the two old vampires still walking around – one of which _had_ bitten her. He could see on her face when she realized why he was silent.

"Well, they're different..." she muttered. "And I _have _killed them – or tried to. The Powers brought Angel back from the hell I sent him to, and Dru dragged Spike out of the fire when I left him there under an organ... and he was wearing the Gem of Amara when I staked him." She stopped to wave her hands around in the air. "And Drac... who the hell knows? He finally stayed dust after I kept staking him, but I'm pretty sure he was faking it just to get me out of the house."

"Ah, I'd forgotten about Dracula. So there are three old vampires walking around unstaked. And life goes on."

"Angel and Spike are special," Buffy said, her lower lip indicating she was planning to be stubborn about any suggestion that they shouldn't be walking around.

"They are," he agreed. "And yet, in their day, they were responsible for many, many deaths. Which, to the best of our knowledge, is not true of the bite house vampires."

"So what are you saying? Leave them alone? Let them keep biting people? Let them bite _Riley?_"

"I'm saying, just as you allowed Angelus back into your life after he returned from the hell he so richly deserved, and just as you did not stake Spike when he became helpless, this is your decision to make."

Buffy glared at him. "Do I get to choose when you tell me what to do and when you don't? 'Cause I'm sure I can come up with other situations..."

He gave her a fond smile. "Given that it rarely matters whether I tell you what to do or not, I hardly think you need to make a list."

"Fine. I'll check them out, but if I don't like what I see..." She walked to the door, throwing over her shoulder as she opened it, "By the way, Willow thinks you probably know all about bite houses from your Ripper days. Is she right?" Without waiting for an answer, she giggled and pulled the door shut behind her, leaving Giles with a horrified expression on his face.

XXXXXXXXX

She was still giggling quietly to herself when she reached Spike's crypt and pulled open the outer door. After she pushed through the inner wooden door and turned to close it, she saw that Spike had installed heavy metal supports on either side of the door, and a substantial-looking wooden bar was leaning against the wall beside it. With a smile, Buffy put the bar into place and patted it.

The only illumination was the flickering light coming from the now-open entrance to the downstairs, and Buffy approached it carefully as her eyes adjusted to the shadows. She peered over the edge, her gaze going past the candle to the immobile body lying on the bed. Spike was sprawled across the mattress, his pale skin tinted a light coral by the mix of soft candlelight against the red of his sheets. The top sheet was just barely covering his groin area and legs. She couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her at the mouth-watering sight below her.

She was so busy admiring Spike's bare torso that it took her several minutes to realize his eyes were open and he was smiling at her.

"See anything you like, love?" he asked, his normal cockiness somewhat mitigated by the trace of hope she could hear under it. He shifted his body, bringing his arms behind his head and giving her a good look at both his biceps and the trail of brown hair disappearing under sheet.

Smothering the "guh!" that almost escaped her mouth, she smiled. Two could play at this game... She licked her lips as she ran her eyes up and down his body, but couldn't smother her gasp when the sheet immediately tented in front of him and his eyes darkened.

"You're playin' with fire there, Slayer," he growled as he started to throw the sheet back.

"Eep! Spike, you're naked!" She scrambled back from the edge, landing on her butt facing the opening. Her eyes went wide when Spike's head appeared almost before she'd finished sliding.

"Pretty sure you already knew that," he growled, continuing to emerge from the hole. "If you didn't want the reaction you got, you should have knocked politely and asked me to wake up." When he was almost halfway through the opening, he reached for Buffy's feet and yanked her toward him, putting her legs around his waist and holding them there. "Don't play games with me, Buffy. I love you, and I would never force myself on you, but I'm still a demon. And I want you so bad I can hardly walk most of the time. It's one thing to control myself when I know I have to hide my feelings, but don't expect me to do in the face of that kind of teasin'."

In spite of his strong words, he made no attempt to pull her any closer, just let go of her legs and waited, hands resting lightly on her hips, for her to make a move. Buffy could feel the slight trembling in his body; she shook her head and bit her lip.

"I'm sorry, Spike," she said, touching his face with her hand and smiling when he closed his eyes and leaned into it. "That was uncalled for... and stupid. But you know you were teasing me_. _I was just trying to play the game."

"Know you were, love. I'm sorry. Should've known you thought you were just flirting." He sighed, turning his head to kiss her palm. "Been a long time since I had to woo a woman. Seems like I may have forgotten how to do." He held her hand against his mouth and planted another open-mouthed kiss on it letting his tongue just barely caress the skin of her palm.

"I think you're doing just fine," she gasped, leaning toward him. "I don't think you've forgotten a thing."

"It may be comin' back to me, now that I think about it," he murmured as he ran his mouth up her arm until he was nibbling on the side of her neck. "You'll let me know when you think it's working, won't you?" Without waiting for an answer, he moved his mouth to hers and began to tease her with quick, open-mouthed kisses that stopped just short of passionate.

Surprising them both, Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kisses. Spike's arms went around her and she was soon plastered against the body she'd been admiring a few minutes ago. The only thing between Spike's hard cock and her now-damp thong was the denim of her jeans. She ground herself against him while he pushed back and murmured his need. Buffy quickly realized that she could no more stop herself from continuing what they were doing than he could, and she whimpered her dismay when he pushed her away.

Before she could utter a more coherent complaint, she found herself flat on her back on the floor with Spike tugging her unzipped jeans down her legs as best he could without falling off the ladder. He pulled one leg off and let it flop while he lowered his head and bit through her thong. With his face in her suddenly pantiless crotch, Buffy could only thrash her head back and forth at the sensations he was creating. It took him only a moment to send her arching off the floor and calling his name as she shook with the force of her orgasm.

She was still lying bonelessly, upper half on the floor, legs dangling beside the ladder, when she felt Spike pull the other leg of her jeans off, letting them drop to the floor below. He tugged gently until she was close enough for him to pick her up and jump gracefully to the ground with her. He walked to the bed, falling backwards onto it with Buffy lying on top of his naked body.

"I forgot you weren't wearing any clothes," she murmured for lack of anything more coherent or important.

"I'm about to remind you," he said, his chuckle shaking her body as he pushed her up. "Sit up for a second, love." He rose with her, causing her to slide onto his lap, his cock sticking up between them. Ignoring for the moment how close it was to where he wanted to put it, he began to help her out of her shirt and bra, pausing when he got them off to sigh at the sight of her taut, tanned body.

Buffy's hand grasping the thick column in front of her brought his attention back to their position.

"As good as that feels, love," he said as he grabbed her hips and raised her up, "got somewhere else it wants to be right now." He lowered her, letting her choose how long it would take to get herself fully settled upon him. Buffy closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy every bit of the slow slide onto his cock. Spike's "Ahhh" when he was in as far as he could go was matched by Buffy's sigh of agreement.

They were still for a moment, their foreheads touching, just getting used to the feel of each other and enjoying the way they fit together. When Spike shifted his weight under her, Buffy experimentally squeezed, smiling when his eyes rolled back and he groaned in appreciation.

"Oh, Buffy, love. Like that, sweetheart. Knew you'd be like touching Heaven..." His hips canted up as he put his hands on her and held her in place while he pushed into her. When she responded with more squeezing, his words became an incomprehensible mixture of vulgarities and flowery praise. Pulling her down so he could kiss her, they once again got so lost in the kisses that they almost forgot what the rest of their bodies were doing. But not quite...

With a quick flexing of his body, he rolled them over so that Buffy was gazing up at him. Smiling at her, he began to rock his hips. "You can drive later, love, if you want to. Right now, I want to shag you into next week."

"I can't do that," she whimpered, rising to meet him thrust for thrust. "I have a test on Friday..."

He gave an appreciative chuckle and leaned in to kiss her again. With their mouths fastened together, Buffy's arms and legs holding him tightly against her body as they moved in ways as old as man, but new to them, it took only a short amount of time to send them both shuddering into a blissful conclusion.

"Wow," he gasped, still collapsed on top of her.

"Wowie, wow, wow," she agreed, letting her legs drop to either side of his, but making no attempt to push him off.

"I didn't mean for that to be so fast," he murmured into her neck. "I can do better."

"Don't hear me complaining, do you?" She wriggled beneath him as she felt him swelling within her. "But if you want to prove it..."

"I'm on it. Hold on to your hat, Slayer."

Her giggle was the only response as she flipped them over and sat up. "Did you say something about letting me drive?"


	8. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

"How many times was that?" Buffy was lying flat on her back, eyes shut, completely oblivious to her nudity. When Spike didn't answer right away, she nudged him with her foot, bringing a lazy response.

"Lost count after the third or fourth time. Kept havin' to pinch myself to be sure I wasn't dreaming. I thought you were countin'?"

She stretched and shrugged before snuggling into his side and letting her hair spread across his chest. "It was lots of times. I know that."

He wrapped his arms loosely around her and nuzzled the top of her head. Taking advantage of not being able to see her face, he said, "You know this is going down as the best night of my life, right?"

"Mmmmm," she murmured in agreement as she squirmed closer. "I could stay here forever—" The way Spike inhaled through his teeth and tightened his arms made her realize what she'd said, and she quickly tried to recover before he could pursue that line of thought.

"If I wasn't the Slayer, I mean. But I am. The Slayer. And We-I-need to go slay things. Evil things. I should get up. Now. Immediately... You should probably stop that..." Her voice trailed of to a whisper as he pulled her over on top of him and began to suck on her neck. "Ooooo, that's... bad. Very bad... and so good... I'm sure it's evil..."

"Can't be evil if it feels good, can it? Want you to feel good, Buffy. Tell me what you want from me." Even though his words were muffled by the skin he wouldn't release, she could understand them only too well.

As she gave in to the wonderful sensations his mouth was creating — _I'm going to have a hickey to end all hickeys— _she knew he didn't mean only what he was doing to her physically. Her thoughtless words had left open the door to a conversation she didn't think she was ready to have yet. Fortunately, the way her body was reacting to the blood being pulled to the surface left her with a good excuse not to answer. She began to writhe on top him as the rest of her demanded more of his attention, and he soon forgot his request when his own body responded.

In what was already becoming a habit, their athletic and inventive love-making ended with Spike on top, Buffy's arms and legs wrapped around him, holding him against her as they quivered their way to another orgasm, this one quieter than all those that had preceded it, but pleasing never the less.

While they were still intimately connected, Spike lifted himself on his elbows and gazed at her flushed face. When she tried to look away, he used his nose to nudge her face back where he could hold her gaze.

"Got to say it, Buffy. Know you probably don't want to be reminded of it all the time, but I need you to know how very much I love you. I think I always have in some way. 's why Dru left me, you know. Said I wasn't demon enough for her anymore and that you were floating all around me. Thought she meant I was obsessed with killing you, but now I see what she really meant."

"Spike... I can't... I want..."

"Shh, love. Don't expect you to love me back. What with you bein' all that's good, and me... not. Just tell me I can be in your life. Let me love you, Buffy. Crumbs are all I'm asking for."

She snorted in relief and squeezed him just enough to make sure he felt it. "If this isn't a pretty big crumb... I hate to think what you consider a whole cake!"

He laughed and dropped his head down again, his breath cool against her neck. "Good point, love. So, you think you might want to do this again?"

"Now?" Her wide-eyed surprise had him backtracking quickly.

"No. Of course not now. I'm good, but I'm not a bloody machine."

"Oh, okay then. Yes, I think I might want to do it again." She winced as he rolled off and out of her. "Ow. When I get over being sore from this time." She smiled to let him know she wasn't complaining.

"Could kiss that better for you, if you'd like," he volunteered, licking his lips.

Buffy laughed and sat up. "Later, maybe. We've got to get dressed and go slay things or I'll get fired."

"Wouldn't be the worst thing could happen to you," he snorted. "Nice long vacation might be just the ticket."

"I think my three days with my dad last month is all the vacation I'm likely to get for a while. Maybe in the summer, when things slow down..." She looked wistful for a moment, then snapped herself out of it and began looking for her clothes. She held up the scrap of cloth that was all that remained of her thong and waved it at him. "Look what you did to my underwear!"

"I'll buy you some new frillies," he said, getting to his feet and pulling his own jeans on. "You don't see me worrying about underwear do you?"

"No, I see that isn't one of your priorities," she said, making a face at him. "But it is one of mine."

"Duly noted, pet. I'll give you your own drawer and fill it with cheap knickers I can bite through when I get the urge."

He didn't look at her as he talked about something as long-term and domestic as having her own clothes drawer, and Buffy didn't acknowledge it as she started up the ladder. She paused after only a couple of steps. "Are we going out this way? If we unbar the door, then Ri—anybody could come in while you're out."

"Huh. That's a good thought. Come on back down and I'll show you how to use the tunnels from here."

XXXXXXXXXX

Spike sat on a tombstone and spread his legs, pulling Buffy in to stand between so he could nibble on her lip.

"So, Slayer, are we done yet? Enough vamp dust spread around to count as time well-spent?"

"We did dust a lot of vampires, didn't' we? I wonder where they're all coming from?"

"Well, with your ex's organization being pretty much shut down, I doubt there's anyone besides you out here all the time. And you can't catch 'em all."

"I guess we've done enough for one night," she agreed, lifting her hands to play with the silky curls on the back of his neck. "Maybe you can show me where those bite houses are before we go ho—wherever." She looked up at him, the full moon allowing her to see his eyes. "Where _are_ we going?" she asked. "Tonight, I mean," she added quickly before he could turn it into a relationship discussion. "Where are we going tonight?"

"Hadn't really thought about—alright, that's a lie and you know it. But it's up to you pet. If I had my way, you'd never leave my bed. Or I'd never leave yours – I'm easy that way..." He smiled when she laughed. "But it's up to you, Buffy. Could come to your room and leave before dawn..."

Buffy sighed. "This is going to be harder than I thought. I can't stay with you every night. I've got homework and... stuff. And we can't... not at my mom's house. She doesn't like you _that_ much." He snorted his agreement. "I don't know. Show me those places I need to see and maybe we'll think of something. It's not like we have to be really _sleeping_ together to... sleep together."

"We don't," he agreed, pulling her closer and nuzzling the side of her face. "Not pushing you, love. Just a fact, I want to spend as much time with you as I can – even if it's just watching you sleep. You'll have to tell me to back off if I'm crowding you."

"Do you mean that? You'll back off if I say it's too much? Or I have too much to do to see you sometimes?" She pulled back and gazed at him with genuine curiosity.

"Of course I would. You've already given me more than I had any right to expect or hope for." He cocked his head at her. "Is that what G.I. Joe did? Didn't give you your space?"

"Among other things," she sighed. "He just... he keeps saying things like 'the girls where I'm from would want...' and I... I tried to get him to understand that where he's from there _are_ no girls like me, but he just didn't get it."

" 'The one girl in all the world'." Spike nodded. "Can see where that might be confusing for a bloke... and you're not exactly the average slayer to boot. You'd be a bit much for most men — human men."

Buffy shrugged. "Maybe slayers aren't meant to have boyfriends." She gazed up at him, willing him to understand her. "It's not an easy job, being the Slayer's boyfriend."

Spike touched her chin so she would focus on him. "Most slayers don't live to be as old as you are, love. The only men they have time to have in their lives are the wankers that send them out to be killed. But I promise you, if you let this one in your life, you'll not only be _one _of the longest lived slayers, you'll be _the_ longest lived one. And he'll do his best to see that it's a happy life..." He lowered his head and finished in almost a whisper, "Even if it means butting out of it someday so you can get married and have a bunch of bitty Buffys."

"Just so you know – I'm not sure if that's the most unselfish thing I ever heard, or if it means you already think this isn't going to work."

"Just bein' realistic, love. I can't give you any of those things that you might want when you're a bit older. If I thought being with me was making you unhappy..." He leaned his forehead against hers. "I'd like to think I've got it in me to walk away if that's what you needed. But I could be telling the biggest bloody lie of my life."

"Well, on that morbid note..." She pulled out of his embrace and began walking. "Show me where these perverts who like to have their blood sucked go to get their jollies."

He caught up to her in few steps and walked quietly at her side for several minutes before clearing his throat and speaking.

"I may hate myself for bringing this up, but do you remember how you felt when I was sucking on your neck a while ago?"

"Do you really want to remind me of that right now?"

"Probably shouldn't," he said with a rueful nod. "But I'm just trying to get you to understand that there's an appeal to what they're doing. Probably something most people would be afraid of tryin', and for good reason, but—"

"You didn't have your teeth in my neck! It was just a giant hickey – which, by the way, remind me to keep covered – it's not the same thing!"

"No, it isn't," he agreed. "The real thing is much more powerful – for both parties. Can become addicting for some people."

Buffy started to reply with a denial, then sighed as she remembered how good Spike's mouth had felt on her neck. "Okay. Fine. So it's not perverted, just...ooky."

When he started to speak again, she whirled and put her fingers over his lips. "And do _not_ remind me that I liked it."

He kissed her fingers and laughed. "Why's that, pet? Afraid you'll start wantin' the real thing?" In the light from a nearby streetlamp, she could see his expression change to pure lust and his eyes darken, even as he tried to joke about it.

"Spike..."

He shook himself. "Sorry, love. Got lost in the moment there. One of those things I probably shouldn't let you see."

She snorted. "Yeah, probably not. Not unless you want to go back to spending your time alone in your crypt playing with yourself."

"Right. Got it. Wiping my mind of any thought of biting you—hey! How do you know I—I mean, I don't 'play with' myself."

"Oh please! How many times did I catch you doing... that... when you were in Giles' bathtub last year?"

"Well, I was bored," he said, his lip coming out in a pout. "Had to do something to amuse myself, didn't I? And anyway, you kept coming in there and teasin' me with your bare neck and no bra under your shirt and..." His eyes began to glaze over again, and Buffy shoved him so hard he almost fell.

"Snap out of it!"

"Alright, I'm sorry." He gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm snapped. And we're here."

He pointed to a nondescript-looking building just off the alley in front of them.

"Huh. Doesn't look like much. I was picturing something a lot more...bordello-ish."

"And if we were in Europe or Asia, you might find it. But not here in Sunnydale, USA. These vamps are the dregs of demon society. Too lazy or cowardly to hunt for their food, and willing to... They don't make a lot of money from their clients."

"Why didn't you do something like this when you got chipped? Couldn't you bite if you aren't trying to kill?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. Now that I've more experience with the chip, I think I probably could, but back then all I knew was if I even thought about hurting a human my head tried to explode. Anyway, I may be—have been—a lot of things, but a whore isn't one of them. All I had to do was get myself to someone willing to help me." He nudged her arm. "Found her, didn't I?"

Buffy nudged him back. "So, the whole chip thing was just a way to get into my good graces... and my... other things..." He snorted, but didn't argue, just pointed to the door where Riley was standing at the top of the steps and arguing with the bouncer.

"I think you need to make a decision here."

After some discussion, the vamp waved Riley in, closing the door behind him.

"Shit! He's really going to do it. I'm going to kill him! Er... not really, I guess, unless he gets himself turned and then I—"

"Stay here a bit, Slayer. I'll be right back."

"Where are you—" He raised a finger to his lips and nudged her into the shadows.

Buffy watched as Spike strolled up to the building, pausing to light a cigarette that dangled from his lips as he climbed the stairs and knocked. The bouncer/doorman did a double take, then laughed.

"I knew you'd come crawling to us someday, Spike. Thought you were too good for us, didn't you? Hanging out with the Slayer and drinking pig swill. What makes you think I'm going to let you in?"

Spike's response was to grab the larger, but much younger, vampire by his shirt and pull him out the door. He held the sputtering vamp up for a second, then threw him over the steps and to land in the alley. Spike didn't bother to watch him land, just flicked his lit cigarette in the general direction before entering the building.

Buffy watched with interest as the doorman sat up rubbing his head, then noticed the cigarette on his pants leg. He screamed and knocked it off, then looked around to see if anyone had noticed his embarrassing moment. Buffy stepped out of the shadows and leaned against the wall, arms crossed as she stared at him. His eyes opened wide in terror and he looked around frantically for an escape route.

Buffy let him worry for a few minutes, then walked past him and up the steps into the building. She turned to look over her shoulder and say something quippy, but he was already out of sight, only the spinning lid of a knocked over trashcan to mark his passage. She shrugged and pushed the door open.

Buffy's entrance sent the vamps that had been sitting around the big room waiting for customers into a panic. They screamed and pleaded with her, running in circles until she moved away from the door allowing them to fall all over each other to escape. Rolling her eyes at their very un-vampire like behavior, she tucked her unused stake back up her sleeve and began searching for Spike and Riley.

She found them on the next floor up. She stopped just outside the small cubicle where Riley was sitting up, using his hand to apply pressure to the inside of one elbow. A hissing female vampire was lying on the floor beside him, glaring at Spike. Remembering Spike had told her to wait outside, Buffy stepped back before they could see her. She'd seen enough to know what they been doing before Spike interrupted them.

"Get your arse out of here and go find your food like a real vampire," Spike said, yanking the still-hissing vampire to her feet and propelling her toward the entrance. If he knew Buffy was just around the corner, he didn't let on, just snarled at the growling whore until she left the room. She gave a little gasp when she saw Buffy standing in the middle of the hall, hands on hips and eyes narrowed in fury. Her entire demeanor changed as she cowered against the wall, whimpering in fear and making no attempt to attack or flee. With a shudder of disgust, Buffy moved slightly and gestured toward the stairs. The girl scuttled past her and almost fell down the steps as she hastened to join the other house members outside.

Buffy started to step into the room, then waited, curious as to why Spike wasn't coming out already. She could hear Riley's muttered curses and then Spike's voice.

"This has got to be one of the bloody stupidest things I've ever seen, Finn." Buffy startled at hearing Spike use Riley's name. "Are you really so brassed off at Buffy that you want to make her have to kill you? She would, you know. In a heartbeat."

"No she wouldn't," he mumbled. "She won't stake you. And Angel's still walking around. She wouldn't stake me."

Spike sighed loudly enough for Buffy to hear him from the hall. "She sent the poof to hell on the point of a sword when she was only seventeen. He got sent back by the bloody Powers That Like to Meddle, but she didn't know that was going to happen. She thought she was killing the love of her life." He snorted a laugh when Riley blinked at him in surprise.

"What? You didn't think it was one of us, did you? The girl doesn't love lightly. Even so, she did try to put him out our misery when she thought it was necessary to protect the bloody world. Didn't hesitate." He nodded as he stood up. "And she thought she'd killed me more than once. Granted, our... relationship... has changed some since then, but I know with everything I am that if she thought I was killing and feeding, I'd be dust. She might shed a tear over my dust, but that probably wouldn't be much consolation to me by then."

He walked toward the door, putting one hand around it to gesture at Buffy to disappear.

"Come on, soldier-boy. I'll walk you out and see that you don't run into any vamps more likely to kill you than that little chit. Not that she wasn't havin' herself a right good feed," he added as Riley swayed on his feet. "She wouldn't have killed you on purpose, but if she was hungry enough, it wouldn't have mattered if it was on purpose or not. You'd still be dead."

"I don't see why that's your problem, Spike. I think you'd be happy to be rid of me."

"Not denying that. Not doing this for you. I'm doing it for that little girl who's going to think it's her fault if somethin' happens to you. And who's gonna consider it her duty to dust you if that bint does you in and feels sorry enough about it to turn you."

He stopped and grabbed Riley's arm hard enough to make the chip fire. "I'm not going to let you do that to her. You hear me? You hurt her like that and..." He let go and tried to shake off the headache. "I'll find you before she does – and I i_can/i_ hurt other vamps. Don't forget that."

Spike could hear Buffy's footsteps as she hurried down the stairs ahead of them and wondered how much she'd heard. He shrugged and slowed down just enough to be sure she'd made it outside before he and Riley got to the door. From the top step, they could see Buffy talking to Graham and another one of soldiers from Riley's unit who had remained in Sunnydale after the Initiative closed down.

They reached the bottom and Spike shoved Riley – who was still keeping pressure on his bite – toward his buddies.

"Here. He could probably use some liquids. Beer would do nicely."

When Riley staggered and almost fell, Spike was the only one quick enough to grab an arm and hold him up. Graham stared at the vampire he'd tried to help Riley kill, then nodded and took Riley's other arm.

"Let's go, big guy. We need to have a talk." As they turned to go, he met Spike's gaze and held it. "Thanks," he said finally.

Spike shrugged. "Didn't do for him or you," he said. "Tried to talk some sense into him, but don't think he cared for the messenger. Maybe you'll have better luck."


	9. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Spike and Buffy stood side-by-side and watched as the three men moved out of the alley and to a parked car. When they'd pulled away, Buffy and Spike began walking toward the street in silence.

"Did you get an earful?" Spike finally asked.

"I wasn't eavesdropping," Buffy said. "Not on purpose. I was gonna come in, then I figured it would be better if Riley didn't see me." They walked a little more, without conversation about it, heading in the direction of Buffy's dorm.

"But, yes. I heard you." She moved a little closer to him so that their shoulders were brushing with each step. "You're something else, William the Bloody. Just when I think I know you..."

"Just keepin' you on your toes, pet," he said, putting one arm around her long enough to give her a small hug. "Just keeping you on your toes."

She leaned into him for a second and giggled. "Are you sure on my toes is where you want me?"

"You know better, you little minx," he growled. "But I'll take what I can get."

They stopped at the entrance to her dorm. Spike cocked his head at her. "So, what's the decision, Buffy? Stay or go?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I know it's really late, and I really need to get some sleep... but I..." She brushed her hand over his cheek, not sure what she wanted to say.

"Let me walk you up and we'll suss it out," he said, holding the door open. "I don't need to stay if you want to sleep by yourself."

They walked upstairs in silence, not speaking until they were in Buffy's room with the door closed. In spite of it being a college dorm, they hadn't encountered any other students. Even the hardiest of partiers were asleep in their rooms by two a.m. on a weeknight.

Buffy picked up her alarm clock and glared at it. "I'm not going to be happy to hear you tomorrow morning," she said, giving it a shake before setting it down.

"It already is tomorrow morning," Spike pointed out helpfully, earning his own glare from Buffy before she tried to smother a yawn, but failed.

"I think all I want is to crash on that bed. I'm not even going to brush my teeth or take off—" She made a face. "Okay, change of plans. I am going to put my pajamas on. _Somebody_ ruined my underwear and now I've got sticky Spike stuff in these jeans." She sighed. "I guess I might as well brush my teeth and take a shower – it's lose the sleep now, or lose it in the morning." She grabbed her sleep pants off the bed and pulled a tee shirt from a drawer. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back." Taking her essential items with her, she ran out the door and down the hall.

She rushed through the shower, rinsing her hair and wrapping it in a towel while she hastily brushed her teeth. Shivering slightly, she ran back to the room, pausing when she came in the door and found Spike, fully clothed, but boots off, lying on her bed. He sat up and started to get off, surprised when Buffy said, "Stay there. I've got to dry my hair at least a little bit before I lie down."

"Come here, love," he said, patting the bed and holding out a hand that had a hairbrush in it. "Let me help you."

Buffy raised a skeptical eyebrow, but obediently crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed. Spike unwrapped her hair, rubbed it briskly until the towel was too wet to be useful, then began to brush it, using more skill and gentleness than she could have imagined. She was swaying in an effort to stay awake by the time he had finished brushing it almost dry, soothed into complete relaxation by the gentle strokes. She was barely aware of what he was doing as he pulled her down onto the bed and covered her with the blanket. The last thing she remembered before falling completely asleep was Spike's voice rumbling in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her.

She woke up once to find him kissing her forehead. A quick peek from barely-open eyes told her he already had his boots and coat on.

"Got to go now, love, or I'll be stuck here all day. Go back to sleep."

"'K. See you later." She was sound asleep again before he pulled the door shut behind him.

XXXXXXXXX

It was a full week before Buffy saw Riley again. He surprised her by showing up just as one of her classes ended and asking if he could talk to her. She nodded and they walked out to find a bench in a semi-deserted area of the campus. She studied him for any sign of anemia or lack of sleep, but he seemed healthy.

"How are you?" she asked. "You look good."

"I'm fine. I haven't been... the guys are keeping a pretty short leash on me. Not that I need it!" he hastened to add, "but it's nice to know they've got my back."

She nodded and waited for him to go on.

"I..." Riley shook his head. "I don't know how to do this. I mean, I know you said... but I have to try, okay?"

Buffy cocked her head at him and allowed herself to smile with what little affection she had left for the man she'd thought might be her chance for a normal life. "What is it, Riley?"

"Okay, see the thing is, our unit has been called up. There are some demon problems in South America and we're one of the few squads with experience dealing with things like that."

"I thought you quit?"

"I did. But I can go back if I want to. So... really what I need to know is if there's any reason for me to hang around here. If you might—"

Buffy put her hand on his arm and squeezed gently. "I think that ship has sailed, Riley. I still like you. I really do. But there's just been too much... too many things that we don't share, for me to think we can make it work. You just don't understand me and what I am, or the kinds of things I have to do sometimes."

"And Spike does?" She couldn't miss the bitterness in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Riley. I really am."

"So, I was right. You'd rather have something cold and dead than a living man who loves you. I can't wait to tell my friends you dumped me for a corpse."

Buffy counted to ten, then responded as calmly as she could. Only the knowledge that she actually had been attracted to Spike long before she broke up with Riley kept her from decking him.

"Riley, I know you can't understand this. And I know that you're blaming Spike because you think he's the reason we broke up. But if you're honest with yourself, you'll remember that you had issues with me being the Slayer almost from the beginning. I'm not what you think I should be. Or what you want me to be. I can't help that, and I can't change it. It's got nothing to do with Spike — except that when you tried to kill him after I'd asked you not to, that kinda showed me where your head is, you know? I didn't leave you for him. I left you because we don't fit each other."

"But Spike 'fits' you?"

She sighed. "I don't know that yet. Maybe? Maybe the differences between Spike and me are going to be too much too. They're pretty major as differences go – vampire, slayer. Not exactly textbook relationship material." She shook her head when he perked up and tried to speak. "Or maybe I'll get killed one of these nights and I'll never know. Being the Slayer means not making any long-term plans, 'cause the chances you're going to have a long-term life are pretty much zip."

She stood up. "I think you should go with your friends and do good things somewhere else. Find a girl who can be what you want." She briefly considered kissing his cheek, but rejected it in favor of giving his shoulders a quick hug. "Take care of yourself. Be safe."

She walked away quickly, not wanting to drag things out any more than she already had. Somewhat to her surprise, he didn't call after her or even say good-bye. From the corner of her eye as she hastened away, she saw him get up and walk off, his shoulders back and his step determined.

"Go get 'em, Riley," she whispered.

XXXXX

Spike was sound asleep on top of a sarcophagus, catching up on rest while he had a chance. Spending every night watching Buffy sleep, then rousing himself to hurry back to his crypt before dawn, and being awake in the afternoon in case Buffy dropped by after her classes was taking a toll on his sleep patterns. He almost didn't hear the screech of the outer door being pulled open, sitting up and shaking his head as he tried to process what his ears were telling him. The loud knock on the inner door had him leaping to his feet.

"Who's there?" he called, confident that the heavy bar would keep out all but the strongest and most determined intruders. As he walked toward the door, he could hear two heartbeats from the other side.

"It's me. Riley. I want to talk to you."

"There's two of you."

Spike looked around for anything he might use as a weapon before the chip struck him down, settling for a sword, which could incapacitate a human and maybe give him time to get away if necessary. He rested it against the wall while he lifted the bar.

"It's me, Graham," came another voice. "It's okay. We aren't here to to hurt you."

Spike snorted in disbelief, but unbarred the door anyway, stepping back from it and holding the sword loosely in his left hand.

"It's open," he said.

Riley stepped into the room, the sunlight streaming past him causing Spike to take another step back.

"You won't need that," Riley said, pointing to the sword. "I just want to talk to you. Graham can wait outside."

Spike raised a skeptical eyebrow at the uncomfortable-looking other soldier who nodded his head and mouthed "It's okay" behind Riley's back. He stayed where he was, silhouetted in the doorway, but facing out toward the tombstones. Spike retreated to a chair and gestured for Riley to sit down. The two men stared at each other for several minutes before Riley spoke.

"I'm leaving Sunnydale," he said finally. "I talked to Buffy this morning and there's nothing for me here."

"I'll drink to that," Spike said, picking up an open bottle of Jack Daniels from beside the chair and taking a swallow. "Why tell me?""

"Because, number one, I want to know Buffy's going to be taken care of; and number two, I have some questions about being a vampire."

Spike gave him a hard stare. "Number one – the Slayer takes care of herself. Always has, always will. If I tried to pull some macho 'I'm going to take care of you' bollocks on her, I'd probably find myself blowin' in the wind. If you're asking me will I look out for her and help her—well, that doesn't even need thinking about. Of course I will. I'd give my unlife for her in heartbeat. Think she knows that..."

He stopped and fixed Riley with a hard stare. "I don't need you telling me how to treat the woman I love. Had a lot more practice at it than you have. Over a hundred years of it." He growled. "As for questions about being a vampire, I thought your whore sucked that stupid idea out of you."

Riley glared back at him, then sighed. "I'm not still thinking about doing it. Even if I was, Graham is watching me like a hawk – and so are the rest of the guys. But I want to know... Why are you so sure I would try to kill Buffy? You don't. Angel doesn't—"

Spike barked a short laugh. "You never met Angelus, did you? Without that soul that got shoved into him, he wants to kill everybody._ Especially_ Buffy. Beginning with her family and friends, and ending with Buffy after he's driven her down with grief. That's his MO. He's safe as long as that soul stays put. Without it, he's stake-bait."

"You don't have a soul," Riley pointed out. "All you've got is that chip —which, by the way, I'm surprised you haven't worked harder to get out. I doubt our doctors are the only ones that could do it. Wouldn't you do the same thing if you got it out?"

"Don't need a soul," Spike said. "My demon doesn't control me the way the big poof's does. Never has and never will. And I've got 125 years of learning to live with my demon to call on when I need control. That's why your bloody chip works on me and didn't on all those other poor sods you tried it on. The fledges don't have that kind of control. They're driven by bloodlust and all the pain does is stop them temporarily. Soon's it begins to fade, they're attacking again. Couldn't stop themselves if they wanted to. That's what you would be like as a vampire."

Spike cocked his head at Riley as he held out the bottle to him. "You've got all that corn-fed, boy scout stuff going for you, so I doubt you'd be as vicious as Angelus was when he was first turned, but don't think for one second that you would see Buffy as anything but your first meal. You'd have to survive as a vamp for years before you'd have the kind of control it takes to even pretend to be safe."

"Are you saying you'd still be safe if the chip failed?" Riley took a deep swallow before snorting in disbelief and handing the bottle back to Spike.

"Is it going to?" Spike fixed Riley with a hard stare. "Is there something I should know?"

Riley shook his head. "No. I'm just asking you why you think you'd be safe to be around without it."

"Because I was before," Spike said, ignoring Riley's startled reaction. "Slayer and I made a truce to save the world from her demented ex way back when we'd been trying to kill each other for months. She brought me into her house, introduced me to her mum, and I've had a free pass to casa Summers ever since. Never used it for anything but cryin' on Joyce's shoulder when Dru left me the first time. Buffy's mum and little sis have always been safe from me."

Spike shot a look toward the door where he could see Graham leaning against the jamb and trying to pretend he couldn't hear. "Mind you, I'm not saying that if the chip went missing, your sadistic mates wouldn't pay for that last round of kick the Spike... but I wouldn't go back to killin' for my food. Wouldn't do that to Buffy."

"What makes you different?"

Spike shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care. I just am. Old Angelus and Darla did their best to beat it out me, but I can be a right stubborn wanker when I want to be."

Riley got to his feet. "All right. I'm trusting you to take care of her. If I ever come back here and find out you've done anything to hurt her..."

"Wouldn't expect any less of you," Spike said, getting to his feet also.

They gazed at each other for several minutes before turning away; the decision not to shake hands was mutual. Riley walked to and out the door without another word, leaving Graham to wave a good-bye as Spike closed the door behind them. He stared at the door for a second, then put the bar back in place.


	10. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Buffy was walking to the Magic Box when she felt the warning tingles on her neck, followed immediately by knowledge of who was causing those tingles and where they were coming from.

"Ooooh, for some silly reason, I think I'll cut through this dark alley. What could go wrong?" Buffy's voice was deliberately high-pitched and vapid as she walked into the alley and tried to adjust her sight to the darkness there.

"A vampire could grab you and have his way with you." Spike's voice crooned in her ear as she felt his arms tighten around her. She giggled and leaned back against him.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" She wriggled her butt against him, smiling when there was an immediate physical response. "Ooooh! What is that?"

"You wicked minx." He turned her around to face him. "Who would have thought Heaven's Chosen One could be such a little—"

"Ah, ah. Don't say anything you'll regret. 'Minx' and 'bint' are bad enough names to call me."

He laughed and kissed the nose on her indignantly screwed up face. "You don't even know what they are, do you? Could be calling you a saint, or an angel or something."

"I'm going to ask Giles. He'll tell me, and then you'll be in big trouble."

"Mmmmm." He nuzzled the side of her neck where it was covered by a silk scarf. "You're not still hiding my mark?"

She shrugged. "It's all gone. I'm just trying to get everybody used to seeing me with a scarf... just in case..."

His eyes lit up. "In case you want me to do it again?"

"No! I dunno. Maybe? It's not like the last one wasn't gone in a day. Slayer healing is my friend."

He sighed and loosened his grip. "I suppose that's so. Damn shame it is."

"What? That they aren't going to be permanent?" Buffy's narrowed eyes were easy for Spike to see in spite of the low light.

"You're right, Slayer. Not my place to be marking you, is it? Sorry." He dropped his arms completely and stepped away.

"No. It isn't. But not just for the reason you think," she said, turning to leave the alley. He fell into step beside her.

"What then?"

She frowned and bit her lip. "Because you should trust me and... and trust me. Without having to do something like that. It makes me feel like you think you need to make sure everybody knows I'm..." She allowed her voice to trail off, reluctant to finish.

"Make sure everybody knows you mine?" he said. "Is that what you think this is about? Making it harder for you to be with somebody else?"

"Isn't it? Isn't that what marking me means? That you want everybody to know I'm not available because I belong to you? Which, just so you know, is not my thing. I don't 'belong' to anybody, except me. And my mom. And maybe Dawn..."

"Never thought different, love. I know every day or night you give me is a gift. If I dusted tomorrow, this still would have been the happiest week of my life. The marking isn't me telling you I don't trust you, it's just the demon's way of telling any other vamps to keep their teeth to themselves."

He stopped her and turned her around to face him. "I'm pretty sure a human love bite – no matter how new a hickey it might be – isn't going to have the same effect as if you had a real mark on you. But that's the intent behind it." When she raised an eyebrow, he added somewhat sheepishly, "Well, that and you taste so bloody good I could—"

"Stop right there," she said, putting her hand over his mouth. "And do I even want to know what you mean by a 'real mark'?" He licked her palm until she giggled and took the hand away.

"I think you know full well what I mean by that, Buffy. And I'm not talking about fading scars like you have from those other wankers that bit you. I'm talking about a_ real_ 'love bite'. The kind that leaves a permanent mark any vampire can recognize."

Buffy shook her head and began to walk out of the alley, confident he was following her. "Most guys give their girlfriends jewelry — this one wants to put more scars on my poor neck." She was muttering to herself, but knew Spike could hear her. He caught up and took her hand, laughing softly.

"You want jewelry, I'll give you jewelry, pet. Just say the word."

She shrugged. "I'm just saying, we've got different ideas of how to show we're exclusive." She wasn't watching him and missed the way his face lit up at her words. He didn't pursue it, just basked in the feeling that Buffy thought they were exclusive.

"Where are we headed, Slayer? Magic Box? Off to fight evil?"

"Not yet. I promised Mom we'd come by for dinner tonight. Since I found you before we got to the Magic Box, we'll just go straight home."

When he didn't respond, she stopped and gave him a curious look. "Is that okay? You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course I don't mind," he managed to get out around the lump in his throat. "Just a bit gobsmacked, that's all."

Buffy looked uncomfortable. "Well, it's not like I'm planning to walk in and make some big announcement about... anything. But she knows I broke up with Riley and I think she's worried about you." She glared at him. "It's not a big deal. Don't make it a big deal."

"Alright. Not a big deal, just the Slayer bringing her friend the vampire home for supper."

"Exactly."

Spike rolled his eyes and kept pace with her as she marched in the direction of her home.

XXXXXXX

"We're here!" Buffy frowned at the silence that greeted her. "Mom? Dawn?"

"Upstairs, love. I can hear one of them."

"Huh! Okay, I'll be right back." She ran lightly up the stairs and into her mother's bedroom. "Mom? What's going on?" Joyce was lying in the darkened room, her arm over her eyes. She sat up and gave a groggy glance around the room.

"Oh, Buffy. I'm so sorry. I had such a headache, and I took some pain meds, and I forgot all about..." Joyce clenched her head and moaned.

"That's it. We're on our way to the ER. Let's go." She looked at Joyce, who was sitting up, but weaving back and forth. "Spike! Get up here!"

He was at the entrance to the room almost before she'd finished speaking.

"We've got to get Mom to the ER. Help me carry her."

"Got it, pet." He stepped into the room and scooped Joyce up as if she weighed nothing. "Go get the car keys."

Buffy grabbed her mother's purse and ran down the stairs ahead of them, running into Dawn when she got to the bottom.

"What's going on? Did Mom have another fainting spell?"

"A what?" Buffy whirled on her. "She's been fainting? Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't somebody tell me?"

Joyce spoke up, sounding much stronger as she motioned for Spike to put her down.

"I was planning to, Buffy. It didn't seem to be that important. I saw a doctor, and he gave me pills for the headaches. I have an appointment to see a specialist next week."

"But you..."

"I'm sure it's nothing. You just caught me while I was still loopy from the pills."

Spike was frowning as he listened to Joyce's heartbeat and tried to analyze what he was smelling. Her scent was off just enough to make him shake his head at Buffy.

"Something's not right," he said.

Joyce glared at him. "How would you know?"

"I'm sure you'd rather not have details, Joyce. Just trust an old predator when he tells you there's something wrong."

"Come on, Mom. Spike can drive. We're all going to the hospital. Now."

Over Joyce's protests that she needed to begin cooking dinner, they hustled her into the SUV for the short drive to Sunnydale's unusually busy hospital. Once there, when the staff learned that she was scheduled for an MRI the following week, they took her away to have it done immediately while they tried to reach the doctor.

Buffy and Dawn sat on the uncomfortable chairs outside the Emergency Room's treatment area, their hands clenched together and their faces pinched with fear. Spike prowled the area, trying to suppress his growls so as not to be thrown out for frightening the other patients waiting to be seen. He came close to revealing his true nature when a disheveled-looking man dressed in an odd costume was brought in, babbling to himself. The man took one look at Dawn and began to scream and shout.

Fortunately, most of what he was saying seemed incomprehensible to those watching. However, Buffy was able to catch at least one reference to a "Key" and she exchanged frightened glances with Spike.

"Come on, Bit. Let's get you out of here. I'll take you for food and then drop you at home and come back for Buffy... and your mum."

"What? I'm not leaving Mom. I'm staying with Buffy."

"No you're not," Buffy said, squeezing her arm tightly. "You need to leave with Spike. I'll explain later."

Before she could argue again, Dawn met the eyes of the now-restrained stranger and realized why he was staring at her and what he was saying. She gasped and leapt to her feet, grabbing Spike's outstretched hand and following him out the door.

XXXXXXXXXX

Buffy turned her best Slayer glare on the strange-looking man, but he paid no attention to her as he was manhandled out of the lobby and off to the psych ward.

"Ms. Summers?"

The doctor's voice brought her spinning around to demand, "How's my mother? What's wrong with her?"

He frowned at Buffy's rudeness, but answered her questions as best he could.

"As we suspected, your mother has a growth on her brain. It's still fairly small, and probably not malignant. Of course we won't know that until we get it out. Which we are planning to do first thing tomorrow morning."

"M... malignant?"

"Probably_ not _malignant, Ms Summers." His expression softened. "I suggest you go home and get some rest. You could pack a small bag for your mother so that she has her own toiletries when she is recovering from her surgery."

"Can I see her? Before I leave? I need to see her."

"I'll let you peek into the room, but please do not try to wake her. She's on pretty heavy meds for the pain and could use the rest."

As they walked through the swinging doors and down what seemed to be endless corridors, they encountered a young man in scrubs coming the other way. He paused when he got to them.

"Ah, Ben," the doctor said. "This is Mrs. Summers' daughter. Will you please escort her to the room so that she can see we are taking good care of her mother and it is safe to leave her here?"

Buffy blushed at his wry observation, but didn't apologize for her pushy behavior.

"Thank you, Doctor—"

"Rogers" he replied. And this is Doctor—"

The younger man held out his hand for Buffy to shake.

"You can call me Ben, Ms. Summers. I'll be helping Dr. Rogers with your mother's care."

"I'm Buffy," she said, smiling at him as best she could and shaking his hand. "Can I see my mother now?"

"Of course. Just follow me." He smiled and led her down another corridor where she could peer through a window to see her mother, eyes closed, and with tubes and wires running from her body to several machines. At Buffy's gasp, Ben touched her arm and tried to reassure her.

"Those are there to help us monitor her vital signs," he said. "She'll be all set for the surgeon tomorrow and the pre-op stuff will go very quickly. The next time you see her, she'll be out of the recovery room and most of those machines will have been removed. " He smiled at Buffy and continued, "Once she's out of surgery and as soon as we can be confident that she's stable, most of those things can go away. She'll probably still have an IV, just to keep her hydrated and to provide meds, and something to help us track her blood pressure. But there's really nothing to worry about... she's going to be fine."

Buffy gave him a weak smile in return, surprised when his eyes grew wide and he said, "Oh no! Not now!" Without another word to her, he ran down the hall and disappeared into a janitor's closet. Buffy frowned at his sudden departure, but shrugged and turned to look at her mother one last time. A sound behind her brought her head around just in time to see the last person she wanted to find near her mother ducking into a stairwell.

Her moment of indecision about whether to follow Glory — or "Glorificus" as they had learned her minions called her — or remain where she was to protect her mother, meant by the time she got to the stairwell and began to leap downward, Glory was long gone. Buffy stood outside the fire door, swearing and searching the darkness for any hint as to where the hell god had gone. She briefly thought about running back upstairs to see if the young doctor was all right, but decided to go looking for Glory instead.

"He's in a hospital. If she killed him, there's nothing I can do about it except try to stop her from killing anybody else, and if she didn't, he's in the right place to get help."

Nodding her head at her rationalization, she began jogging in the direction of her home, keeping her eyes moving around for any sign of Glory or her scabby minions. She was only halfway home when she found Spike battling several of the ugly little creatures.

"You have to take their heads off!" she said, as she grabbed one off his back and threw it against a car, setting off the alarm.

"Know that, don't I?" he growled, snapping the neck of the one in front of him. "Was a bit outnumbered here."

With two strong people in front of them, the minions that weren't unconscious or dead began to retreat, only to be greeted by an ear-piercing shriek.

"Where are you going? I told you to bring him to me!"

Glory waded into her cowering soldiers, brushing them aside like they were blades of grass.

"You, vampire!" She pointed to Spike. "You come with me."

"You're not my type," Spike sneered as she advanced on him. Buffy stepped in front of him and held up her hand.

"Leave him alone. He's not your damn key, and he doesn't know where it is."

"The Slayer defending a vampire. What an odd arrangement." Glory shrugged and knocked Buffy away with one arm. She grabbed Spike as he leaped at her, snarling in fury. Glory started to walk away, holding Spike out where he couldn't bite her, only to find Buffy back on her feet and blocking the way.

Taking advantage of Glory's need to use both hands to hold Spike, Buffy hit her several times, smiling when the she was rocked back on her feet. Glory dropped Spike to the ground, ordering her still-cowering minions to "Hold him!" as she began to exchange punches with Buffy.

Spike shook off the minions and jumped on Glory's back, putting his teeth into her neck and biting as hard as could.

In the meantime, the blaring car alarm had attracted attention to the battle, and two police cars came roaring up the street, siren's wailing. The minions began to scatter as Glory shook off Buffy and Spike. She stepped in front of the on-coming squad cars, then screamed in rage as she shook all over. Tires squealed as the police tried to keep from killing the half-dressed man now standing in front of them.

"Let's go, pet," Spike said, grabbing Buffy's arm. "Really don't fancy trying to talk out way out of this one."

"They're Sunnydale cops," Buffy said. "They know better than to get between me and... whatever." She frowned. "Where did Glory go? And what is Ben doing here?"

Spike gaped at her. "You didn't see it? And what's a 'Ben'?"

As they jogged away from the scene, Buffy kept looking back over her shoulder as Ben gestured while trying to explain to the police what he was doing in the middle of the street in his underwear.

"We need to talk to Giles. I need more information about that bitch. The Council is supposed to be sending us what they know about her."

"I might have all the information I need," Spike muttered, spitting out the remaining blood in his mouth and ignoring Buffy's questioning look. "But let's see what the watcher knows."


	11. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Buffy finished filling everyone in on the evenings events, including her mother's condition and the fact that she would be spending all day tomorrow at the hospital.

"So, here's the weird stuff. One of mom's doctors ran into a closet, and Glory ran out. So, either she killed him, which – it seems weird he'd go in there if he thought that was going to happen, or I've got to figure that he knows something about her. Maybe he's a human minion..."

"Or maybe he's _her!" _Spike said. "How did you not see that just now?"

"See what? All I saw was Glory getting ready to smash some cop cars, and then Ben was standing there, distracting everybody while she got away."

"She didn't get away, she turned into that bloke. You were looking right at her, Slayer."

Buffy frowned. "So you're saying what? That she went invisible or something?"

Spike growled and rolled his eyes. "Do any of the rest of you understand what I'm saying?"

"Ben is working for Glory?" Willow offered.

"Glory kidnapped him from the hospital and Buffy just didn't notice?" Anya said.

Giles shook his head and pointed to an envelope from the Council. "According to this, Glory spends part of her time on this plane in a human host. Perhaps this Ben person is a friend of that host?"

"What is wrong with you people?" Spike threw his arms into the air and began to pace the floor. "Are you all barmy? Or under a spell?"

Willow and Tara exchanged nods before Willow said, "I suppose a god could do a spell so nobody could see her when she was in her host, or..."

Giles groaned. "Or be able to see her change or remember it if they did..."

"Exactly! Thank you!" Spike said.

At the same time, Buffy asked, "God? That skanky bitch is a god?"

"Hellgod, actually," Giles said. "The council has provided us with as much information as they have. Which is basically that Glorificus is trying to get back to the hell dimension from which she was exiled millennia ago. She requires the Key "– he shot Buffy a look – "and it has to happen sometime this month when all the portents are right. If she can't make it happen, she will be stuck here for another thousand years."

"Hence her harassment of Buffy who she thinks has her Key," Xander said.

There was silence around the table as they all waited for Buffy to say something. She exchanged glances with Spike, who shrugged his willingness to let her make the decision. Taking a deep breath and letting it out she said, "The Key is Dawn, guys. Or Dawn is the Key. Take your pick. Everything we think we remember about her as a little girl was implanted by those monks Glory killed. They made the Key a person and sent her to me to protect. Which I intend to do," she added quickly when she saw Giles begin to speak. "I don't care how she got here, she's my sister and I'm not turning her over to Glory."

"Which wouldn't be wise, even if you did," Giles said. "Once she opens that portal, all the creatures from that hell dimension would begin swarming into ours. Even you would not be able to stop that much evil from taking over the world."

"How is Dawn being the Key going to help Glory?" Willow asked. "Dawn doesn't know how to open portals."

"It's her blood," Spike said quietly as Anya nodded in agreement. "It's always the blood."

"Spike's right," Anya said. "It's probably a blood ritual that she needs to do at just the right time. With Dawn's blood," she added, just in case anyone was in doubt.

"So, we keep her away from Dawn until after the end of the month. We can do that, can't we?" Buffy's statement was more of a plea. "She doesn't even know Dawn is her stupid Key. All I have to do is keep her looking under rocks and stuff."

"Or you could kill Ben."

Buffy whirled on Spike. "I don't kill humans! Even if they are friends with evil, skanky hellgods."

"Help me out here, Watcher," Spike pleaded.

Giles rubbed his forehead. "I understand what you're saying, Spike. But even if Willow and Tara are correct about a spell having been done to hide Glory's identity, none of us are going to be able to do what needs to be done. I cannot condone killing someone who, as far as I can tell, is just an innocent bystander."

"Who maybe helps Glory," Buffy added in hopes of soothing Spike's irritation. It failed.

"Who _is_ Glory!" he exploded. "A hellgod that has no god-like powers when she's in human form."

"Well, yeah. That's good to know. But we don't know what her human form is, so—"

Spike cut Buffy off in mid sentence. Looked over her head at Giles, he said, "I think I know how to handle this, Slayer. You just worry about your mum and let me worry about the bitch."

Giles frowned at what Spike seemed to be implying, but he couldn't think of any way Spike's chip would allow him to murder an innocent man, so he just shrugged.

"Why don't you take tonight off, Buffy? You seem to have done a good bit of fighting already, and Dawn is home alone, is she not? I suggest you go home and get a good rest" — he did send a meaningful glare at Spike, who ignored him — "so as to be fresh tomorrow when you are waiting for Joyce to come out of surgery."

"I am kinda tired," she admitted. "And I don't like leaving Dawn home alone, just in case..." She glanced at Spike. "Maybe she can hide out in your crypt. Glory isn't likely to be looking for her in a vampire's lair."

"The Bit is always welcome there, you know that, but the hell bitch already knows I'm... something... to you, and she tried to grab me once. We don't know if her minions know where I live or not. Bit's probably safer doing her I'm-just-a-normal-teenage-brat thing."

"A normal brat who just happens to be the Slayer's sister," Xander pointed out.

"True. If she's looking for a hostage to trade for information, any one of you might be in danger, including Dawn."

"And on that happy note..." Xander stood up and nodded to Anya. "Let's get home and get some sleep so we can be with Buffy at the hospital tomorrow."

"I'd suggest that for everyone. We can meet Buffy there and perhaps discuss possible hosts for Glory while we wait."

Spike didn't even bother rolling his eyes this time, just gave a low growl and went to hold the door open. "Come on, then," he said. "Slayer and I will walk you home."

"Actually," Giles said with a nod at Buffy, "it may be more useful if you and Buffy split up." When Spike and Buffy both narrowed their eyes, he hastily added, "For tonight, I mean. In the interest of getting everyone home and asleep as soon as possible."

"Or, you could just drive everybody home," Buffy said. "We'd just have to make sure they got safely inside."

Xander spoke up. "I've got my truck. Anya and I will be fine. Any hellgod that gets in front of me, I'll just run her down."

"Fine. I will drop Willow and Tara off on my way home then."

Buffy had walked to the door and was talking quietly with Spike as the others worked out their arrangements.

"I really don't want to leave Dawn alone tonight."

"It's fine, love. You scamper off to check on the Bit and I'll follow the Watcher." He frowned suddenly, remembering why they'd been at her home in the first place. "Have you eaten anything this evening? I know Bit's okay, I bought her enough fast food to feed an army, but you..."

"I'll grab something on my way past the Doublemeat Palace." She smiled up at him. "But thanks for worrying about me."

"Got to keep that luscious body well-fed and healthy until I get a chance to enjoy it again," he said with an exaggerated leer.

"Way to spoil the moment," she snorted.

"Didn't know there was going to be a moment," he said. "What with your mom all sick and everything."

"I meant, you dope, the moment in which you were worried about making sure I ate dinner." She nodded. "But, yeah, I can't say having sex is very high on my list of things to do right now... I just didn't expect you to realize that."

She could hear the disappointment in his voice. "Know how to set priorities, Slayer. I'm not a complete git." Without waiting to hear a reply, he walked out the door to wait for Giles and the girls. Buffy explained to them that Spike would see them safely home and she would to her house to be with Dawn.

When they all emerged and went to their various vehicles, Buffy stood staring at Spike's rigid back and biting her lip. Just before he squeezed into the front seat of Giles's car, Buffy ran up and grabbed his arm, pulling him down to whisper, "Are you coming to my house later?"

He blinked at her. "Didn't think you wanted me to," he said.

"I didn't say that. I just said I didn't want—" She hesitated, realizing that her voice was rising and the others were looking at her curiously. Lowering it again, she said, "I'll leave the back door unlocked." Without waiting for a response, she turned and began jogging in the other direction.

XXXXXXX

Giles dropped Willow and Tara at their dorm, surprised when Spike got out and walked all the way to the door with them. When Spike rejoined him, Giles said, "That was very solicitous of you."

"Not much point driving them home if one of the gets nabbed before she gets in the door, is it?"

"So, do you think you can successfully fight a hellgod? One that has already shown she can beat Buffy under most circumstances?"

Spike shrugged. "Prob'ly not on my own. But it would buy whoever she's after some time." He frowned. "I think maybe the Slayer and I together... But that's not the best solution."

"Spike... I know what you're thinking about finding her host and killing her while she's vulnerable. And I have no problem with that – not really. I would do it myself if I knew who it was. But we don't, and even if we did, you wouldn't be able to—"

"Only gonna say this once, Rupert." Giles blinked at Spike's use of his first name and the calmly focused look on the vampire's face. "Prob'ly because I'm not human, I'm not under whatever spell she's got out there that means humans can watch her change back and forth between slovenly tart and clean-cut doctor without remembering what they saw. I _know _what I saw tonight. Add that to what Buffy saw in the hospital and I think we know exactly who the host is. You lot are just too bespelled to acknowledge it."

He continued to face Giles as he drove into his apartment building's lot.

"I don't care if my head explodes, I'm not letting Buffy face that bitch if I can make the problem go away."

They got out of the car and Giles locked it up. As he began to walk toward his unit he asked, "Are you coming in? I have a new bottle of scotch."

Spike shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, Watcher – or, I would if I didn't know you were trying to keep me away from Buffy – but I want to make sure she and the Bit are okay before I turn in for the night."

"Spike... you know if Buffy thinks you've killed someone, she..."

"She'll do what she thinks she needs to do. Know that. I'll worry about it if and when I need to. I'm just warning you ahead of time, in case it goes pear shaped." He paused and added, "Joyce's girls could probably use a ride to the hospital in the morning. I won't be able to drive them there in the daylight."

Without any more conversation, Spike turned away and began moving through the night in the direction of Revello Drive, leaving a bemused Giles wondering if he should call the hospital and ask them to warn one of their doctors.

XXXXXXX

While Buffy choked down two Doublemeat burgers and the accompanying cold fries, she tried to fill Dawn in on what had happened since Spike hustled her away from the hospital.

"Mom's having surgery tomorrow? For a_ brain tumor_? And Glory was _there, _in the hospital?"

Buffy nodded and swallowed. "The doctor said he doesn't think it's malignant and Mom should be fine. We'll just get a good night's sleep tonight and be there before she goes in. If we're there early enough, maybe they'll let us see her first."

Dawn nodded. "Okay, I'm going to bed now then. I'll see you in the morning." She hesitated on her way out of the kitchen. "Where's Spike?"

Buffy shrugged. "I guess he's still with Giles. He'll be here later... I think."

"Do I need earplugs so I'm not scarred for life?"

"Wha— no! Of course not. I don't even know if he's coming back here, and even if he did, we wouldn't... not in... Just go to bed and mind your own business."

"If you're going to be boinking your boyfriend right across the hall from me, that _is_ my business!"

"There's no boinking. We've both got too much on our minds right now to worry about relationship stuff. If he comes by, it will just be to... to... offer support. And maybe a ride to the hospital in the morning if we can keep the sun off him."

"Uh huh. And Glory only wants me for her key so she can make me shiny."

"She's not going to get you Dawn. I promise you. I won't let it happen."

Dawn paused on her way out of the room.

"Who was that crazy guy yelling at me in the ER? How did he know?"

"He was just a crazy guy. Don't worry about him. He's locked up in the psych ward."

"Buffy, he _knew_. He knows what I am and he was yelling about it. If Glory hears him—"

"She won't. How could she? Unless she's hanging out in the psych ward – and you hang out there too. It'll be fine. I'm going to have a talk with that Ben guy and make him tell me what he knows about Glory. Just in case he _is_ a minion, you need to stay away from him."

"Got it. Night, Buffy."

"Goodnight."

XXXXXXXXX

Buffy wandered around the kitchen, making sure she'd thrown away all the fast food wrappers and wondering if she'd have to learn to cook until her mother was all better. When she'd run out of things to do, she began to yawn every few minutes. With one last lingering look at the unlocked back door, she sighed and gave up waiting for Spike. She left the door unlocked and the light on, but turned out all the other downstairs lights as she worked her way to the stairs and her bed.

She'd been asleep for only a short time when she felt the bed dip and came awake immediately, hands searching for a better weapon than the pillow she'd been clutching.

"Easy there, love. It's only me."

"That's a good way to get dead, or dead-er," she said, straining to see him in the dark room. "I didn't know who was climbing into my bed."

"You weren't expecting me?" She could hear the uncertainty in his voice and felt him moving away. She grabbed the nearest part of him, which turned out to be the sleeve of his shirt.

"I _was_ expecting you. But you weren't here when I went to bed and I thought you might have changed your mind – or you were still mad at me."

"Not mad, Buffy. I was a mite disappointed, I'll admit, but in all fairness to you, I know I've got to earn your trust. Know I've got to show you there's more to what I feel than just my craving for your body."

"Oh." She snuggled back down in her bed, eyes already closing. "Okay then. Let's get some sleep."

She felt Spike lower himself beside her and rest one arm across her waist. Buffy linked their hands and was asleep so quickly she never noticed that he was awake and watching her with eyes shiny with unshed tears.


	12. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Buffy awoke the next morning to find that she'd squirmed around during the night and was now curled against Spike with her head on his chest and her arm across his body. He seemed deeply asleep and unaware of the sunbeams creeping across the floor. Sunbeams that sent Buffy scrambling to pull the curtains more tightly closed and to throw the bedspread on top of Spike.

"Not gonna let myself go up in flames in your bed, love," he said, his voice drifting out from under the cloth covering his face.

"I was afraid you wouldn't know it was morning until it was too late," she said, sitting beside him and tugging the spread down far enough that she could meet his soft gaze.

"I'm an old vamp, Slayer. I always know when the dawn is coming—" he paused, cocking his head—"or Dawn, in this case." As he finished speaking, Dawn pushed open the door and stuck her head into the room.

"Buffy, what time do we—Spike! Spike's in your bed! You told me there'd be no boinking!"

Spike raised an eyebrow and sat up, throwing off the bedspread so that Dawn could see his fully clothed body. "Boinking?" he asked. "What the bloody hell is boinking – and what do you know about it?"

"I'm fifteen," Dawn sniffed, "I know stuff."

"Go get dressed, Dawn," Buffy said. "You can shower first if you don't use up all the hot water. We should leave as soon as we can if we want to see Mom before they take her into surgery."

Dawn nodded and went back to her room, making a point of leaving the door ajar.

"I don't think she trusts us," Spike said. "Why is that?"

"Because she's a brat?" Buffy spoke loud enough for Dawn to hear her as she went into the bathroom and slammed that door. "Or maybe it's because of the look on your face," she continued in a much softer tone.

"What look would that be?" he said, licking his lips. "The one that says you're the sexiest thing I've seen this morning?"

"I'm the only thing you've seen this morning," she said. "And I'm all rumpled and messy and I have bed-hair and morning breath and—"

"And you look delicious," he murmured against her neck as he pulled her onto his lap and slid his hands under her tee-shirt. He fastened his lips on his favorite spot and began to suck, his happy humming almost drowning out Buffy's soft whimpers.

"D...Dawn," she managed to gasp out as he fell back against the pillows and pulled her on top of him.

"Can hear her perfectly," he said. "There's no way she can sneak up on us."

"Mmmfff," Buffy said as he began kissing her. "Morning breath!"

"Buffy breath," he replied, biting her lower lip. "Don't mind it. Need to feel you, near me, on me, around me. As he spoke, he was pushing down her sleep pants with one hand, and unzipping his jeans with the other. "I'll be quick," he coaxed as he lifted her onto his cock. "Promise."

Buffy whimpered again, too distracted by how good it felt to have him inside her again to worry about her sister's reaction to seeing them. While Spike held her hips down and arched up into her, his fingers were doing amazing things that soon had her falling against his chest and biting his shoulder to keep from crying out. As soon as he felt her teeth on him, Spike gave his own muffled cry as he found his own release.

They had only a few moments to regain their breath before he stirred, saying, "Bit's out of the shower, love. Best get up and be waiting for her."

"I'm not sure I can walk yet," Buffy said, sitting up but not moving off his body. Spike's appreciative laugh as he set her to one side made her glare at him before she pushed herself off the bed and pulled on her pants. "And you need to hide that thing!" She pointed at his only partially relaxed cock.

He laughed again and tucked himself away before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and grabbing his boots.

"Go take your shower and get dressed," he said. "I'll take the sewers and meet you at the hospital."

"I was kinda hoping you could drive us, but I guess you can't now that the sun's up."

"Watcher is coming to get you." He glanced at the clock on the dresser. "In about twenty minutes."

"Should I be offended that you and Giles seem to be making decisions for me?"

"You should be happy that we both love you enough to want to make your life easier," he said, kissing the tip of her nose. "See you soon... You too, Bit," he added as he stood walked to the door and pulled it the rest of the way open.

Dawn tossed her head and continued into her own room to get dressed while Buffy followed Spike into the hall.

"We'll see you at the hospital," she said, one hand on the bathroom door.

"That you will, love."

XXXXXXXX

Although they were allowed to see Joyce briefly before she was rolled into the OR, she was already half out of it from the pre-anesthesia shot and just smiled at them and made a kissy face. As she was pushed out of the room and through the swinging doors, Buffy and Dawn stood together, hands tightly clenched. When they could no longer see their mother and the doors had stopped swinging, they gave matching sighs and walked out to the waiting area.

Where they found, not just Giles, but Tara and Willow already there. Anya and Xander were only a few minutes behind, and they came bearing doughnuts. They all settled in with something sticky and sweet and something to drink from the vending machine. Their attempts to appear unworried and relaxed for Buffy's sake lasted only until Ben put his head in the door and looked around the room.

Before Buffy could say anything to him, his eyes got wide, he gasped and disappeared down the hall.

"Well, that was weird. That's what he did before. We were talking and then he just ran off and Glory came. "

"Maybe there was an emergency," Willow offered. "He probably has a pager in his pocket that we couldn't hear."

"Or maybe Glory's here again!" Buffy leapt to her feet, dropping her doughnut. "Don't let Dawn out of your sight!" She ran to the door and scanned the hallway, catching a flash of red heading for the OR area.

"Oh God, Mom..." she murmured as she tore down the hall after Glory, skidding to a halt when she almost ran into Ben. She grabbed his arms and shook him. "Where is she? Where does she go, and how do you know she's going to be here?"

His face twisted in anguish. "I can't tell you!" he said. "I can't stop her... she's..."

Buffy gasped as his head twisted in an impossible direction before flopping forward onto his chest after an audible crack. Standing behind him and holding Ben's now dead body up, Spike was exposed to Buffy's horrified gaze. Blood was pouring from his nose and ears and he was swaying on his feet.

"Spike... what... how... I was going to make him tell me..." She held her head and moaned. "Oh my God. You killed him."

Unable to speak, Spike dropped Ben's body and slumped against the wall, holding his head. His eyes were unfocused as he tried to speak, but failed.

Giles came running down the hall saying, "Buffy! I understand what Spike was saying. Glory's host is— dead," he finished, looking from the body, to Spike, to Buffy's stricken face.

"Go back to the waiting room," he said to her. "We'll take care of this."

He gestured with his head toward the fire stairs, With sudden understanding, Spike struggled to his feet and began dragging Ben's body into the stairs. With help from Giles, he tossed it down the stairwell. The thump when it struck bottom was audible to them both, and to Buffy, who had not moved from the spot.

"Are you all right, Buffy?" Giles asked, taking her arm and leading her toward the waiting room. Spike followed slowly, unsteady on his feet and shaking his head occasionally as if to clear it. He snagged a towel from a laundry cart and tried to mop up the blood still trickling from his eyes, ears and nose. When he could finally speak, he faced Buffy with obvious apprehension.

"Please tell me with that wanker gone the spell is broken and you remember." When Buffy just stared at him blankly, he continued, "_Think_, Slayer! What did you see when Glory stopped the police cars? What did you see just now?" Spike's voice was getting higher as he watched Buffy shaking her head from side to side in denial. When she didn't respond, his face fell.

He was already turning away, shoulders slumped in defeat when she whispered,

"I remember now. I saw Glory turn into Ben, and I saw Ben turn into Glory and back again. I just... you killed him. Right in front of me!"

"You wouldn't have done it," Giles said. "If Spike had not, we would all still be at the mercy of Glory in her true form."

"I watched you kill a man." Buffy paid no attention to Giles, but continued to stare at Spike. "I watched you kill a man, right in front of me, and I didn't stake you."

"Was kind of hoping you'd consider it justified. Guess I was wrong." His back was still to her, but he'd stopped moving away.

A passing nurse got a glimpse of Spike's blood-soaked towel and head. She gasped and ran to him. "What happened? Sit down. Let me get a doctor for you—"

"I'll be fine, luv. Just need a bit of a wash-up. If you'll show me where I can..."

She led him away, clucking over the blood, but agreeing that it was no longer flowing as he assured her it was just a "spell" and that he would consult his doctor immediately. Spike smiled and thanked her as he entered the men's room she'd pointed out. "It's fine, pet. I promise you. I'm not going to die in your hospital. Appreciate the help, though." She eyed him dubiously, but nodded and continued to where she'd been going when the sight of a blood-soaked man distracted her.

XXXXXXXXX

Spike cleaned up as best he could, pulling his duster around himself to hide the bloody shirt. He left the men's room and paused, wondering if he should just leave. He walked toward the elevators, hesitating when he reached them. He was leaning his forehead against the wall and just touching the down button when he heard Buffy's voice.

"Are you leaving? Don't you want to know how Mom is?"

He whirled and stared at her across the elevator lobby. "Of course I do! But it I'm not feeling very welcome here, so I was going to—"

She walked over to him and looked up into his still bloodshot eyes. "I believe you," she said. "Ben was Glory. I know that. And I know that it would have been very hard to get rid of her by myself. And Giles is fine with it... what you did."

"But you aren't," he said, searching her face for some indication he was wrong.

"I need to think about it. I need to think about it a lot."

He pushed the button. "You'll let me know when you're done thinking, alright?"

She grabbed his arm. "That doesn't mean I want you to go! I... I need you. Here. Don't you want to be here for me?"

"Bloody hell, Buffy! How can you ask me that? I thought you were saying you couldn't be around me till you've made up your mind what you want to do about..."

Her eyes filled and she blinked back the tears before responding. "I don't know what I— I can't think about that now. My mother is in danger from something I can't fight, and I need my... I need you. I only want to deal with one bad thing at a time. Right now, it's my mom. Later... I don't know," she said meeting his gaze with honesty. "And I'll understand if you don't want to wait around with me, knowing I might... but I want you here. Right now, I want you with me."

She waited, her eyes on his face as he absorbed what she was saying. With another shake of his head, he turned her around and began following her back to the waiting room. "I'm here, Buffy. For as long as you need or want me. I'll be here." With her back to him, Buffy couldn't see the effort he was making to remain upright.

He sat down beside Buffy, one arm resting on the back of her chair, and reached for the last doughnut. His eyes were still half-shut in pain, but he said nothing.

Xander broke the tense silence. "So, Ben the doctor was actually Glory?"

Spike rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Looks like the spell broke when he..." He glanced at Giles. "...he fell down the stairs. Now you all can remember what you've seen and heard."

Willow studied Spike through narrowed eyes, then turned her suspicious gaze on Giles before asking Buffy, "Did you see him change into Glory?"

Buffy nodded silently, than said, "I saw Glory change into him, too. Twice. Once last night and just now when I was chasing her down the hall."

"Well, then I guess it's a good thing he 'fell down the stairs', huh? And that nobody else got hurt—" She stopped and stared at Spike's bloodshot eyes and what she could see of his shirt. "Oh." Willow turned her gaze to Buffy.

"Somebody did get hurt," Buffy said curtly. "It remains to be seen how badly."

Only Spike understood the full meaning of what she was saying, although Giles frowned at them as he picked up the undercurrent.

Spike closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall behind the chair. Buffy's whispered, "Are you okay?" brought a shrug and a reassuring pat on her shoulder, but his eyes never opened.


	13. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Hours later, when the surgeon returned, pulling off his mask and looking around the room for Buffy, she leapt to her feet to face him. He gave her a reassuring smile and nodded.

"You mother came through like champ. We got it all out, and, although I'll send it to the lab for testing of course, it does not appear to be malignant. Mrs. Summers is in the recovery room right now and will be moved to ICU for the rest of this afternoon and tonight. Assuming all goes well, she'll be in a room of her own by late morning, and able to go home in a day or so.

"I apologize for the delay in getting to you. One of our doctors had an unfortunate accident, and I was short handed in the operating room." If he noticed the panicky expressions on anyone's face, he didn't say so.

He looked around the room, his gaze lingering on Spike who hadn't moved from where he was, eyes shut and head against the wall. Buffy had a bad moment when the doctor's eyes narrowed, and she realized that Spike was looking very much like a dead man just then. Dr Rogers finally finished his circuit of the room and said, "Only immediate family may go into the ICU unit to see Mrs. Summers this afternoon and evening. And then only one at a time and for a limited visit. I'm afraid the rest of you will have to wait to see her until she is in a regular hospital room."

Everyone except Dawn and Spike stood up and began to file out after hugging Buffy and telling her to call them as soon as she'd talked to Joyce. When they'd left, the doctor, who was leaning against the wall and still staring at Spike, turned and raised one eyebrow at Buffy.

"That gentleman is either a very heavy sleeper, or he is in as bad a condition as he seems. Would you like me to take a look at him? Just to be sure he isn't—"

"He's fine," Buffy said quickly. "I mean, he isn't _fine_ exactly, but he's not as... not fine... as he looks." She pulled on Spike's arm. "Stand up, Spike, and show the man you aren't really dead." When there was no reaction, she fell back into the seat beside him, forgetting momentarily that Dr. Rogers was still in the room.

"Spike? Talk to me. Mom's going to be fine... We can see her in a little while. You need to open your eyes. Please open your eyes..."

Before she could stop him, the doctor was beside her, putting a finger to the side of Spike's neck. He frowned when he noticed the blood that had pooled in one ear and the blood soaked shirt exposed when he opened Spike's coat to use his stethoscope.

"Ms. Summers..." he started.

"I know," she said. "You think he's dead. But he isn't dead. Really he isn't. Because if he was he'd be..." Deciding "dust" probably wasn't the right word to use, she let her voice trail off. Rather than the horror and disbelief she'd expected, the doctor gave a heavy sigh.

"Ms Summers, I've been in Sunnydale for several years now. And at one time, I worked closely with... well, let's just say I know what your friend here is, and I can guess what happened to him. It's very possible that his brain has been seriously damaged by whatever has made the chip fire this hard."

He gave a small smile when Buffy and Dawn gasped, then held up a reassuring hand when Buffy got between him and Spike.

"You don't touch him!" she said, every inch the Slayer. Dr. Rogers flinched back but stood his ground.

"I don't want to hurt him, Ms. Summers. Outcomes like this," he gestured to Spike's blood soaked shirt, "are why I quit working for the Initiative. I did not go to medical school to become someone who maims and tortures sentient beings." He looked into her narrowed eyes and said, "I'm not sure why you have what is obviously one of our former subjects here with you— Is...was... he a family member?" When she didn't answer, he continued. "But he has clearly suffered some major damage. It would be in his best interest for you to allow me to remove whatever is left of his chip. At this point, it is probably almost burnt out anyway, and if it should develop a short—"

"Do it!" Dawn's outburst startled both the doctor and Buffy.

"Is he going to be all right?" Buffy's demeanor changed again, from bodyguard to anxious girl.

"I don't know," he admitted honestly. "I'm not sure what to do to make him better. That was never part of our... experimenting." He made a face and shuddered. "I would assume with proper care, and replacement of the blood he's obviously lost, he will come to. However, I've no idea how much or what kind of brain damage he may have suffered. A... human... man would probably be a vegetable, if not dead."

"Nothin' wrong with my brain. Be fine if my bloody head stops trying to explode..." Spike's weak voice focused all the attention back on his face, which was twisted with anguish.

"He wants to take your chip out," Buffy said. "That's what's hurting you."

Spike opened one bloodshot eye to gaze at Buffy's conflicted expression. "Your decision, Slayer. But if it's no, then go ahead and stake me. Can't live like this." He closed his eye again and became immobile.

"Are you being a drama queen?" she asked, almost hopefully. He started to shake his head, wincing and stopping immediately.

"Serious, love. Don't want to leave you, or your mum and the Bit, but I'm no use to you like this anyway. Either you trust me, or you don't."

Buffy bit her lip in indecision, while Dawn glared at her. "Buffy! You know he isn't going to hurt us!"

"It's not us I have to worry about," Buffy said, the full weight of the world making her shoulders slump.

Dr. Rogers touched her gently on the shoulder. "I'm going to go clean up and check on your mother again," he said. "Have me paged if and when you decide. I can probably do it right here. It won't take long. If you decide not to let me remove it, I can give you some meds that will ease the pain until you get him... wherever he lives. But they won't last long," he warned. "That chip isn't going to stop firing until it burns completely out."

Buffy slumped into the chair beside Spike, her hand hovering over his cheek and tears in her eyes.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered.

"Chip didn't make me fall in love with you," he whispered back, the effort he was making clear on his face. "Did that on my own. Long time ago."

"But you don't have a soul!" she almost wailed, although very quietly.

"Have a conscience," he said. "And I have you..." His voice trailed off as he seemed to lose consciousness again.

"Buffy!" Dawn's voice contained all the terror of a young girl who had almost lost her mother and was now watching someone else she cared about seem to slip away right in front of her.

Buffy put her hand on Spike's, which barely twitched under it. She brought it to her cheek and allowed her tears to flow over his fingers while she kissed his palm.

"Could really use those pain meds..."His voice was barely audible and his entire body shivered.

Buffy leapt to her feet and ran to the phone, telling the hospital operator that she needed to have Dr. Rogers paged immediately. She told them he needed to return to the OR waiting room, hung up and ran back to Spike's side, clutching his hand again.

"Hold on, Spike. Just hold on. We're going to fix it. I promise you."

"Know you will, love." He stopped and gasped, trembling all over. "Got faith in you to do the right thing – whatever it turns out to be..."

XXXXXXXXXX

The wait for the doctor to return seemed interminable to the two sisters watching Spike's body being racked with pain that was now coming in waves. In realty, he was back very quickly, carrying a tray full of implements. He gave Buffy a questioning gaze as he pointed to a scalpel and a syringe full of fluid.

"Take it out," she said, pointing at the scalpel. "Now."

He nodded and gestured for her to sit down. "Put his head on your lap and try to hold him still."

Buffy did as she was told, whispering to Spike to try to control his spasms and promising him he would be better soon. True to his word, Dr. Rogers took no time to cut into Spike's scalp and expose the area over the chip. Picking up a hand-size battery-powered saw, he opened a space in Spike's skull and held it open with small spreaders.

Dawn's face turned green and she stood up, mumbling, "I'll just be waiting out... here..." as she went into the hall.

Dr. Rogers glanced up at Buffy, asking, "Are you all right? We can take this to a treatment room..."

"I'm fine," she said. "Just get that dammed thing out of him."

With a nod, he used tiny, fine tools to disconnect a small chip from Spike's brain. After severing the connecting wires, he closed the skull back up and sewed the scalp over the area.

"Those wires won't hurt him now that they're not connected to the chip, and he's... what he is... so infection isn't a worry. He should take it easy for a few days until that bone heals closed..."

Buffy gave a shaky laugh. "Maybe he and Mom can share a room."

Dr. Rogers smiled. "I'm afraid he'd have the nurses in a panic every time one of them realized his heart wasn't beating. Does he have a safe place to recover?"

"I'll take him home with me," Buffy said. "I'll leave Dawn here to see mom first, and I'll be back as soon as I can."

Dawn came back into the room. "I called Giles," she said. "He's going to come drive you home."

"Did you tell him...?"

"Nope. Just said Spike couldn't walk and you needed to get him out of here."

"You're smarter than you look," Buffy said with a grateful smile.

"And don't you forget it!" Dawn turned on the room TV and settled down to wait until she could see her mother.

"Thank you, Doctor," Buffy said. "For everything."

"My pleasure, Ms. Summers." He left the room, carrying his instruments.

XXXXXXXX

By the time Giles arrived, Spike was conscious enough to lean on him and Buffy as they supported him out of the hospital. Using a side entrance that was shaded from the now-setting sun, Buffy held Spike up while Giles went to get his car. They had to use his coat to cover Spike's head to get him from the car onto the shaded front porch of the house, but were soon inside. Buffy helped Spike stretch out on the couch while Giles pulled the drapes closed. He frowned when he turned around and saw Buffy placing a towel under the back of Spike's head.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"He's still bleeding a little bit," she said, carefully avoiding looking into Giles's eyes.

"He's bleeding from the back of his head?"

But sighed and stood up straight, meeting his glare with one of her own. "It was killing him, Giles. Painfully. You didn't see him. Dr. Rogers used to work for the Initiative and he knew how to take it out, and he said if he didn't it would just keep firing until Spike dusted or the chip died completely. It's going to be okay," she said, her face already settling into stubborn lines. "I trust him. And if he gives me any reason not to—"

"Slayer'll do what she always does, protect the world from evil." Spike's voice was weak, but clearer than it had been in the hospital, and his face already looked more relaxed than it had since he killed Ben. "Don't worry about it, Watcher. Don't plan to do that to her. Not a wanker like the last vampire she had in her life."

They both looked down to see Spike's eyes, still bloodshot, but open and alert, focused on Buffy. "Won't make you sorry, Buffy. You have my word."

There was a tense silence in the room before Giles sighed and nodded. "Oddly enough, I believe you, Spike. However, I'm not sure how the Council is going to take this."

"Don't tell them!" Buffy stared at Giles in horror. "Are you crazy? This is none of their business. All they need to know is we got rid of Glory."

"They know that the only reason you have not staked William the Bloody is that he is physically incapable of harming humans."

"And that's all they need to know. The only people that know he doesn't have it anymore are you, me and the doctor who took it out."

He nodded. "And if we keep it that way, it may be fine. But the Council has their sources on the Hellmouth, and the first time Spike gets into a bar fight and punches a human being..."

"Let's worry about that if and when it happens," Spike said, struggling to sit up. "You need to get the girl back to her mother. Worry about me later."

"You need blood." Buffy ran to the kitchen and searched the refrigerator until she found a container of frozen pig blood. She put it in the microwave to thaw and searched for a large bowl. As soon as it had thawed and warmed up, she carried it into the living room with a straw sticking out of it.

"Here. Drink this. I'll bring you more when I come home."

"I'll be fine, love. Go see your mum. Tell her I'm waiting for her to come home and watch Passions with me."

"Okay. You stay here and rest. We'll be back after we see Mom."

Spike was already sucking blood into his mouth and just waved one hand at them as they went out the door.

XXXXXXX

The short ride back to the hospital was made in silence, broken only by an occasional swear word when traffic interfering with where Giles was trying to go. He pulled up to the door to let Buffy out, saying, "I'm going to the Magic Box to work on the accounts for a while. You can call me when you and Dawn are ready to leave and I will pick you up here."

"Thank you, Giles." Buffy leaned forward and gave him an impulsive kiss on his cheek.

He nodded his understanding as she pulled on the door handle. "I believe Spike to be a very different... person, for want of a better word... without his soul from what we found Angelus to be when he lost his. I'm trusting his obvious devotion to you, to serve the same purpose as Angel's perhaps less reliable soul."

Buffy blushed, but nodded. "I think he's pretty special as vampires go... and we know from how he was with Dru that he doesn't take his relationships casually."

"We can only hope that is true," he said as she closed the door. "Do give my best to your mother."

Buffy waved and walked away.

XXXXXXXX

When she reached the ICU floor, she found Dawn just leaving one of the rooms.

"Mom's still pretty out of it," she said when Buffy frowned at her. "She said I need to go to school tomorrow and you need to get some sleep, so we're not allowed to stay here all night."

"Sounds like Mom," Buffy sighed. "Okay, let me just talk to her for a few minutes and we'll head home."

The nurse nodded her permission for the other daughter she'd been told about to enter the room where Joyce was once again hooked to machines providing fluids and monitoring her vital signs.

"Mom?" Buffy whispered, not sure if Joyce was asleep or not.

"Buffy?"

"Did I wake you?"

"No, I've been waiting for you to come back. Is everything all right? Dawn said Spike is hurt? How did that happen in a hospital?"

"It's complicated... I'll explain it when you're feeling better. How do you feel?"

"Like someone did brain surgery on me," Joyce said, wincing a little. Buffy winced right along with her, remembering how she'd held Spike still while the same doctor did surgery on him. "But they've got me on the good drugs now, so it's not really bad as long as I don't move around a lot."

"Dr. Rogers said you'll probably be in your own room by sometime tomorrow, so we'll all be able to visit."

Joyce smiled. "As much as I love all your friends, I'm not sure I'll be up to a full scale Scooby meeting by my sickbed. Check with me first, okay? Just in case I don't feel like company?"

"Hey, that's okay. I'll just tell everybody they can see you when you come home." She frowned. "I can't promise Spike won't try to sneak in tomorrow night, though... You know how he is."

"I do know how he is. And if he did feel he needed to check on me, I also know he wouldn't disturb me. I'm fine with Spike looking in on me. I just don't want a whole crowd." She closed her eyes, her voice drifting off to a mumble. "Tell Rupert these are really, really good drugs..."

"TMI, Mom! TMI" Buffy's shocked response went unnoticed as Joyce fell sound asleep, a small smile on her face.

Shaking her head, Buffy gave her mother a quick kiss on her cheek and then left the room. After making sure the nurses' station had her phone number, she walked out of the ICU unit to meet Dawn.


	14. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Rather than calling Giles to come get them, the two girls walked to the Magic Box. They had to knock several times before Giles came to let them in.

"My apologies," he said. "I wasn't expecting anyone and I locked the door. You're out more quickly than I would have thought. Is everything all right?"

"As all right as it can be," Buffy said. "Mom's zonked on what she asked me to tell you are "really, really good drugs" and she went to sleep. Wanna explain that to us?"

"That she went to sleep?"

Both girls rolled their eyes. "Right, Giles. Cause I don't know what it means when somebody shuts their eyes and stops talking." Buffy put her hands on her hips. "I meant the part about the good drugs. Why would my mom think you'd have any interest in drugs? Good or bad?"

Dawn grinned at him. "Does this have anything to do with a long time ago when you guys were all wacky from magic candy and you turned into some kind of juvenile delinquent?"

"You knew about that?" He looked horrified.

"I was young, not stupid or blind," Dawn said, tossing her head. "Mom dressed like a slut, and you were all punk guy. And your 'cigarettes' smelled funny..."

"Just be glad you never heard the comments I did when I was all 'hear everybody's thoughts' girl," Buffy said with a shudder as she thought about Joyce's 'stevedore' memories of Giles as a punk. "You don't want to know what they did!"

Giles turned very red and cleared his throat. "Yes. Well. Let's just lock up, shall we? And I will drive you two girls back to your home." He relocked the front door and gestured toward the back. "My car is in the alley."

"You parked in an alley? In Sunnydale? Without me?"

Giles looked offended. "I believe I am capable to getting myself safely into and out of my car without a bodyguard. I i_am/i_ a trained Watcher, after all."

"So was Wesley," Buffy said, pushing past him to go out first. She walked all the way around the car, then waved them out. When the door had closed behind them and there was no longer any light streaming into the alley, the shadows suddenly became active and two vampires leapt toward the girls. Buffy staked hers without even bothering to quip, then watched as Giles struck the one attacking Dawn over the head with a large cross he had produced from under his jacket. Using the cross to keep the vampire at bay, he pulled out a stake and waited for another attack. He looked disappointed when the vampire crumbled to dust in front of him.

"I had it, Buffy."

"You probably did, but I'm in a hurry to get home, so I just sped things up a little."

Grumbling about her thinking he was too old to defend himself, he unlocked the car and waited for them to get in. Buffy fretted about not having patrolled yet, but Giles assured her that Sunnydale would survive just fine if she stayed home and made up for missing so much sleep the night before.

The girls got out of the car with Buffy again thanking Giles profusely for driving them around.

"You know, you i_could/i_ get your license," he said. "It's not required that the Slayer walk everywhere if she isn't actively patrolling."

"I just haven't had time," Buffy mumbled, giving a smirking Dawn a shove. "I'll think about it."

"Spike could teach you," Dawn said as they approached the house. "I'll bet he could. He promised to teach me so I can get my license next year."

"Over my dead body!" Buffy opened the door and glared toward the living room where Spike was just sitting up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "You hear that, Spike?"

"What have I done now?" He stretched and stood up, swaying slightly before catching himself on the back of a chair.

Forgetting what she'd been yelling about, Buffy rushed to his side and tried to get him to lie down again. "What are you doing standing up? Are you crazy?"

"Seems one of us might be," he said, sitting back down with a relieved sigh.

"As entertaining as it looks like this conversation could be," Dawn said, "I have some homework to do if I'm going to have to go to school tomorrow. I'll just take some food upstairs with me." She went into the kitchen and began making herself a sandwich.

"So, what's got your knickers in a twist?" Spike patted the cushion beside him and smiled when Buffy sat down. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer. "Missed you," he murmured.

"Did not," she retorted. "You were sound asleep. Don't try to deny it."

"I can miss you while I'm sleeping. Been doing that for years, I'll have you know. Only difference now is I bloody well know what I'm missing."

"Hmmph." She snuggled in to his side and put her arm across his chest. "How do you feel? And don't lie!"

"You hurt my feelings, Slayer. As if I'd lie to you."

She just raised her head and glared at him until he folded.

"Feel pretty good, all things considered. I expect what's left of the headache is going to be around a while, but it's getting better all the time. Scalp's a little sore, but nothing that won't be gone by tomorrow."

"He said the bones in your skull will take a couple of days."

"Reckon that's true," he agreed. "I'll have to try not to get hit on head for awhile."

"Shouldn't be a problem. You're not leaving here until I know you're 100% healed. You and Mom are going to be my co-patients."

"That so?" He pulled her closer. "Does that mean I'll have my own little Nurse Buffy? Hmmm?" Nibbling on her ear, he said, "I think I feel like a sponge bath, Nurse Buffy."

She giggled and squirmed away, hissing, "Behave yourself. Dawn's right in the kitchen."

"Ah yes. The little sister. Remember that from last year's engagement." He let go of Buffy and sat forward. "Nosy, annoying little brat that she is," he concluded, loud enough for Dawn to hear him as she came back through the room with her food.

"You have no idea how annoying I can be," Dawn said, tossing her head. "But get on my bad side and you'll find out."

"You do remember I can bite you now, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Right. Like that's gonna happen. Admit it, Big Bad. You're tamed. Wrapped up and delivered on our doorstep."

"Are you going to let her talk to me like that?"

Spike's indignation was only partially faked as Dawn's words sank in. His mood not helped by Buffy's laughter, he growled and flopped back against the couch cushions.

Buffy waited until Dawn was well on her way up to her room before she moved over to straddle his lap, facing him. She sat there, waiting, until he stopped pouting and gave her a sheepish smile.

"You sound kinda grumpy," she said, resting her arms on his shoulders. "Do I need to go get more blood?"

He started to shake his head, flinching as he thought better of it. "No, love. That was plenty. I'll need more tomorrow. May have to pay Willie a visit and pick up some O Neg. Just to help the healing along. Medicinal like, you know?" He blinked at her innocently.

"How dumb do you think I am?" she snorted, narrowing her eyes when he opened his mouth to speak. "Think carefully before you answer that."

His rich chuckle shook them both, and he put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "I think you're bloody brilliant, Slayer. And if you expected I was going to answer than question any other way, you must not think much ofi_ my/i _IQ."

She smiled at him and leaned in for the kiss he was offering. They were both happily exploring each other's mouths when she pulled away and rested her forehead against his, sighing heavily. "We need to talk."

"Well that's one way to spoil a perfectly good snog." He made a sound between a growl and a sigh. He loosened his grip so that she could move away if she wanted to, but Buffy stayed where she was, only lifting her head to meet his gaze.

"I mean it. I need for you to understand how I feel. About... what happened." She bit her lip and sat up a little straighter. "I think I'm okay with what you did to Ben. Or I will be, anyway. Knowing that you killed him and that it means Glory is gone, is... I don't like it, but I understand why you did it. And Giles seems to be all rah, rah, Spike, so..." She shrugged. "But I don't know if I can even explain how I felt when I saw you standing there holding his body. Even when I got my memory back and knew what he was, I still couldn't handle that you killed a man right in front of me. I thought... I thought I was going to have to dust you. Just like I did Angel, and I... just wanted to die."

"No dying. Not on my watch, Slayer. This was a one-shot thing. You know the Watcher would have done it in a heartbeat if he'd had his head right. It had to be done. I wasn't going to risk losing you in a fight with a hellgod, even if it meant you kicked me to the curb. That's the way it is, Buffy." He took a deep breath. "I won't kill for the sake of killing or to feed – I can promise you that – but I can't promise you I wouldn't do if it again if it was a choice of you or some other human I don't give a toss about. Don't ask me to."

"So I have to go through life making sure I never make any human enemies just so I don't have to worry that you'll kill them?"

"Don't be daft. I'm not an idiot. First place, I know you can take care of yourself just fine. Don't expect to have to go riding to the rescue all the time. You're the Slayer. I'm the back up muscle. I think we're both clear on that. This one time, I could do it and you couldn't. How bloody often is that going to happen?"

"So, even if some human bad guy is threatening to kill me, you'll just—"

"I'll just let the Watcher shoot him. Did you know he's got a gun? And he knows how to use it?"

"Great, you're already corrupting my watcher."

"Don't think old Rupert needs much corrupting, love. The man has depths."

Buffy rested her head on his chest and tried to pretend she didn't notice the bulge growing under her. When Spike began, less than subtly, nudging his hips up, she giggled and sat up straighter, pushing herself slightly away.

"Don't you have healing to do? Healing that requires you to hold still?"

"Sorry, love. I do, but sometimes the head that does the thinking isn't the one that's hurt."

"_Sometimes?_"

"Is that any way to talk to a man who's just had brain surgery? Where's your respect for my condition?"

"Which condition would that be? The one that means you should be lying down and resting, or the one that's poking me?"

"Lying down sounds like a good idea for both them," he suggested, wriggling his eyebrows at her and pushing his hips up again.

"You're incorrigible." She laughed and moved off his lap, ignoring his growl of complaint. "Come on. Let's figure out where you're going to sleep."

"I was kind of hoping it would be wherever you are," he muttered, adjusting himself with more blatant action than was necessary.

"Well, my bedroom is right across the hall from Dawn's, and we already know she just walks in whenever she wants to. Plus, I don't trust those drapes to keep the sun out in the morning. I guess I could cover the windows with a sheet or something..."

"Could always go back to the basement. " 'less your mum already put away my cot."

Buffy shrugged. "I think it's still there. But I don't want to sleep in the basement on that hard old cot..."

"Your bed it is, then," he said, standing up and holding out his hand. "Won't be the first time I spent the night just listening to you breathe and thinking how lucky I am, probably won't be the last."

She smiled and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "Okay. Let me just lock up."

XXXXXXX

Once again, Buffy woke up with her head on Spike's chest and his arms around her, although this time he was under the covers with her and in his usual sleeping attire. She heard Dawn go into the bathroom and reluctantly pulled herself away from Spike's tightening arms.

"Let me go," she whispered. "I've got to get Dawn off to school."

"Mmmph." He turned his face into her pillow, then lifted it for a second. "You'll be back, right?"

"In a while. Go back to sleep."

She got up and threw a robe on as she went out to greet Dawn in the hall.

"Where is he?" Dawn demanded. "You didn't make him leave did you? He shouldn't be running around yet. We need to take care of him."

Buffy smiled. "He loves you too. And no, I didn't make him go anywhere. He's asleep."

Dawn's eyes went to Buffy's closed door. "Oh. Oh! Am I going to be scarred for life now?"

"Not unless you open that door and pull the covers off him. I really don't recommend that..."

"Got it. No talking to Spike unless he's sitting in the living room with his clothes on."

"Get dressed. I'll go see what's for breakfast."

"Buffy, you do know I'm capable of fixing my own bowl of cereal, right? Mom doesn't make breakfast every day."

"I know. I just feel like I should be doing something useful while I'm staying here."

"You're here. That's good enough for me." Dawn turned away, embarrassed by her emotions. Buffy smiled her thanks, but kept her voice casual.

"Okay then. I think I'm going to run out and get Spike some more blood—"

"At this hour of the morning?"

"Oh. Yeah. Well then, if you're sure you'll be okay..."

"I'll be fine. And I'll lock the doors behind me so you can just snuggle with your pet vampire all day."

Buffy rolled her eyes and went into the bathroom. When she came out, Dawn was already downstairs and eating breakfast. Buffy peered into the kitchen only long enough to see that Dawn was eating and that her books and backpack were near her on the counter.

"So, if you're sure..."

"Go. Tell Spike I hope he feels better today. And... and that I'm grateful for what he did. It's nice not to feel like a target anymore."

Buffy flinched, not haven't given a lot of thought to how Glory's intent search for her key might have affected the young girl who was that key. "I'll tell him," she said. "Don't be late for school."

"Yes, Mom."

Buffy stuck out her tongue and turned to go back upstairs.

XXXXXXXXX

She slid into bed beside Spike, wondering how long he was going to sleep. Her question was answered when he rolled over and fastened his lips on "his" spot. He began humming and sucking while Buffy tried to pretend the sensations weren't going straight down her spine to where his hand was finding its way into her sleep pants.

She pushed the pants off so his questing fingers could easily go where she wanted them.

"She's gone then?" he murmured into the skin on her neck.

"Uh... huh!" She yelped when his fingers found what they were seeking and began to work their magic. "She'll be gone all day."

"What a shame. All day. Nobody here but us. In your bed. Naked." He shoved her tee-shirt over her head. "What will we do with ourselves?"

"Guh!" Buffy flopped back on the bed to give him better access to her body. "You'll think of something."

He gave one of the sexy chuckles that made her warm all over. "Already thought of it, love." He followed his fingers with his mouth and Buffy's ability to carry on a conversation went completely away. She had to keep reminding herself that he had a hole in his skull and that she shouldn't touch his head or put her fingers in his hair while he did his best to make her cry in frustration.

"Spiiiiiiikkkkkkeeee" Her one-word plea had the desired effect and he began to suck on her clit until she arched off the bed and cried out again. As she came down from her orgasm, she realized that Spike was using his hands to keep her thighs apart.

"Oh my god," she gasped. "I forgot about your head! Did I hurt you?"

"Didn't hurt me, love. I was just trying to be careful. Don't want you using those luscious legs of yours to pop my skull open."

"There's a scrub-my-brain image," she said, getting her breath back. "Let's just not take a chance on it for a while, okay?"

He nuzzled the soft skin between her hip and her leg, licking lightly over the pulsing artery there. He paused when she spoke.

"If you want to heal really fast, you know what will do it, don't you?"

His head snapped up; eyes wide, he tried to hide a pained wince as he stared at her. "Are you offering, or just making conversation?"

She bit her lip. "I'm... I can fix you. And I want to... fix you, I mean. You can do it, can't you? No chip to worry about now. If those vamp hoes can bite people without hurting or killing them, an old vampire like you should be able to—"

"There's never been a question of whether or not I i_can/i_, Buffy. But I'd need to know you were sure you wanted me to. Don't want any second thoughts or regrets after."

"It's not kinky," she said, as if talking to herself. "It's... medicinal."

Spike moved up her body, resting his hips between her thighs and his cock just at her entrance. "It's not medicinal to me. I mean, it will be, o' course. Should make those pieces of my skull slam themselves shut. But if I... for you to let me..." He tried to shake his head, wincing again. "It would mean everything to me. That you would trust me that much. That you would do that for me. It isn't 'kinky' or any other sleazy-sounding word you can think of. It's a bloody wonderful gift."

"Oh... okay. Now you're making it sound like it's a really big deal, and it—" She stopped herself and met his narrowing eyes. "And iti _is/i_ a big deal. I get that... I do. But I want you to have it. Let me do this for you, Spike."

Instead of answering, he fastened his lips on hers and left them there, indulging in one of what Buffy thought of as "Spike make world go away" kisses while he worked his way inside her. They remained still for long minutes, nothing moving but their mouths and tongues as they let their bodies meld. When, almost without volition, their hips began to move together, Spike slipped his mouth down to her neck and began his normal sucking on the soft skin there.

Not until Buffy was once again arching against him and whimpering her need, did he allow his fangs to drop and ease into that delicate skin. As soon as he'd penetrated the artery, he pulled them out and began to suck again. Buffy's whimpers turned to small shrieks as the sensations spread throughout her body and she clenched around him. His own release followed hers by only a few seconds as the Slayer blood made it's way to his cock.

When they had both stopped quivering, he licked the two small holes until the blood stopped seeping out. He dropped his head next to hers, turning it so he could whisper into her ear.

"Love you, Buffy. Love you so very much..."

"I think I..." She shook her head. "Wow. I feel like... Am I in thrall now?"

His body shook with laughter. "No, more's the pity. Why would you be?"

""Cause if I'm not, then I think maybe I..." She turned her head so that they were face-to-face and she could look into his eyes. "I think maybe I could love you. Maybe I do love you." She frowned. "It's not clear." She mock-glared at him. "I think that affected my brain."

"'Cause you'd have to be crazy to love me?" His tone was light, but she could hear the disappointment and sadness behind the words.

"No, you dope. I just meant, I can't be sure what I'm feeling when my whole body just wants to stay like this forever."

"Forever works for me," he said, his smile threatened to light up the room. "I've got no other plans."

Buffy stretched under him, smiling when she felt him get hard immediately. "Feeling better are we?"

"Feeling like I could whip a hellgod all by myself," he said, beginning to move again.

"Let's not and say you did," she said, moving with him. "How many times did we do this the first day?"

"Don't remember the exact number, but I'm willing to try to beat it."

Buffy's happy giggle was the only response.

XXXXXX''

In spite of Spike's words, after a few hours of mutual happiness, Buffy nuzzled his shoulder, saying, "As much as I'd like to stay here the rest of the day, Mom should be in a room by now and I need to go see her. I'll pick up some blood for you on the way home."

"There's money in my coat pocket, love. Take it."

Buffy shrugged. "Hope you weren't expecting me to say 'no'," she said. "I don't have any money, and Mom's got hospital bills."

"All I'm expecting is you let me do my part while I'm here. Anything else, we'll talk about later."

"What else is there?" As she talked, Buffy was pulling clothes from drawers and getting dressed.

"There's finding a decent place for us to enjoy our time together that isn't a crypt that anything evil could walk into any time it wanted to. And isn't a bed only a few feet away from your mother's room. And isn't a narrow little cot in a college dorm full of nosy other people."

"You're going to get an apartment or something?"

"Or something. I'll work on it this evening before I check in on your mum."

"Sounds very mysterious... what will you use for money?"

"Another one of those things we'll talk about later. You go see your mum. I've got phone calls to make."

"Okay," Buffy leaned in to kiss him and give him a quick grope before dancing out of reach. "I'll see you later." She surprised herself with her own playfulness, attributing it to no longer having to worry about a tumor killing her mother or a hellgod killing her sister. If any of it had to do with the adoring vampire in her bed, she chose not to think about that just yet.

Spike watched her leave, a broad smile on his face as he began mentally reviewing what he needed to do to get his hands on his money and where to look for a place to live that would be convenient to Dawn's school, the Magic Box, Buffy's dorm, and Revello Drive.

"Got to take care of my girls," he muttered as he pulled on his pants. "Time to get to work, Spike. Got to take care of my family."

The End


End file.
